How To Run Better Meetings: Choosing The Right Format For Engagement
Introduction
Meetings are essential for collaboration, but not all meetings are created equal. One of the biggest challenges in any organization is ensuring meetings are productive and engaging rather than time-consuming and ineffective.
Instead of defaulting to a standard meeting structure, choosing the right format based on the objective can significantly improve participation and outcomes. Below are five effective meeting types, when to use them, and how to make them work.
1. Daily Stand-Ups (Scrum Meetings)
Best for: Quick updates, project tracking, and team alignment.
Duration: 10–15 minutes.
Participants: Small teams (5–10 people).
Format: Everyone shares (1) what they did yesterday, (2) what they’re doing today, and (3) any blockers.
Why it works: Short, focused, and action-oriented.
Best practices:
>Stand up (literally) to keep it quick.
>Set a timer to avoid over-explaining.
>Follow up separately for detailed discussions.
2. Town Hall Meetings
Best for: Organizational updates, major announcements, Q&A sessions.
Duration: 30–60 minutes.
Participants: Large groups (company-wide or department-wide).
Format: A senior leader presents updates, followed by a structured Q&A session.
Why it works: Builds transparency, alignment, and employee engagement.
Best practices:
>Use pre-submitted questions to ensure relevance.
>Keep presentations concise and engaging.
>Allow multiple ways to participate (live, chat, anonymous).
3. Working Sessions
Best for: Collaborative problem-solving, brainstorming, deep work.
Duration: 60–120 minutes.
Participants: Small to medium-sized teams (4–12 people).
Format: Facilitator-led, focused on active contribution rather than passive listening.
Why it works: Encourages hands-on engagement and accelerates decision-making.
Best practices:
>Have a clear objective (solve X problem, design Y solution).
>Use whiteboards, sticky notes, or digital collaboration tools.
>End with a summary of next steps.
4. Decision-Making Meetings
Best for: Approving proposals, aligning stakeholders, resolving conflicts.
Duration: 30–60 minutes.
Participants: Key decision-makers only.
Format: Present options → Discuss pros/cons → Make a decision.
Why it works: Eliminates indecision and lengthy back-and-forth discussions.
Best practices:
>Use a pre-read document to ensure attendees arrive prepared.
>Define a decision-making framework (e.g., consensus, majority vote, executive sign-off).
>Assign action items post-decision.
5. One-on-One Check-Ins
Best for: Coaching, feedback, performance discussions, resolving individual concerns.
Duration: 15–45 minutes.
Participants: Two people (leader-employee, mentor-mentee).
Format: Informal but structured; focus on progress, challenges, and goals.
Why it works: Builds trust, aligns expectations, and improves communication.
Best practices:
>Listen more than you speak.
>Use a consistent structure (updates, feedback, goals).
>Take notes and follow up on commitments.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEETING TYPE
Stand-ups → Quick team updates.
Town halls → Organization-wide alignment.
️ Working sessions → Hands-on problem-solving.
Decision-making meetings → Faster approvals, fewer delays.
One-on-ones → Personal growth and alignment.
Stop defaulting to generic meetings! Choose the right format, and you’ll see higher engagement, better decisions, and more productive collaboration.