Your Meetings Need a Performance Review (Yes, Really!)
Make Every Meeting Earn Its Place
Let's talk about something that consumes a huge chunk of your calendar: meetings. You know, those gatherings where we sometimes wonder, Could this have been an email?
Meetings are meant to drive decisions, alignment, and progress. But far too often, they become a vortex of time, leaving us wondering, What just happened, and why was I there?
Here's the challenge: If we expect team members to be accountable for their work, shouldn't we also hold our meetings accountable?
How to Assess Your Meetings in 1-2 Minutes
After every meeting, take just one minute to rank its effectiveness:
Star Rating: Give it 1-5 stars. (Was it a 5-star, high-impact discussion, or a 1-star, "this could've been a Slack message" situation?)
Letter Grade: A+ means you'd gladly attend again, while a D or F signals it needs a serious rethink.
Pattern Tracking: After a few days or weeks, look at your rankings. Are certain meetings consistently low-rated? That's a red flag.
"The way we spend our time defines who we are." — Jonathan Estrin
If Your Meeting Rankings Are Low… Fix or Cut Them
Clarify the Purpose: Every meeting should have a clear objective. Are you solving a problem? Making a decision? If it's just to "update" people, reconsider.
Trim the Invite List: People who don't need to contribute or make decisions likely don't need to be there.
Tighten the Agenda: An agenda should be a tool, not an afterthought—keep it crisp and focused.
Consider Alternatives: Could this be an async update? A voice memo? A shared document?
Check the Timing: Should this meeting be 60 minutes long, or could it be 25? Cut the fluff.
"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything." — John Kenneth Galbraith
A Leadership Habit: Prioritize Meetings at the Start & End of the Day
At the start of your day, review your meetings. Which ones are aligned with your priorities? If something doesn't move the needle, ask: Is this the best use of my time?
At the end of the day, reflect: Did these meetings bring clarity, progress, or value? If not, commit to improving or eliminating them.
"What gets measured gets managed." — Peter Drucker
Why This Matters for Leaders at Every Level
Great leaders own their time. If you're constantly drained by unnecessary meetings, your energy for strategic work suffers. By assessing and refining your meetings, you make space for deeper thinking, real problem-solving, and better leadership.
Closing Thoughts
The challenge is simple: Start measuring your meetings this week. Fix what's broken, cut what's unnecessary, and reclaim your time for what truly matters.
Invest in Your Leadership Journey
Leadership begins with intentionality and reflection. That’s why we designed the Leadership Journal, a powerful tool to help you cultivate your leadership mindset, set clear goals, and reflect on your growth daily. Invest in yourself and your team by creating a practice of mindful, purpose-driven leadership.
“Don’t confuse activity with productivity. Many meetings are just a way of postponing decisions.”
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Resources to Dive Deeper
Podcasts:
The Tim Ferriss Show (on productivity and decision-making)
The Modern Manager (on meeting culture and team effectiveness)
Books:
Other Resources:
Leadership Journal: Encourages daily reflection and intentionality.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Creativity isn’t just for artists, it’s a leadership superpower. The Artist’s Way is a must-read for leaders who want to unlock fresh thinking, overcome self-doubt, and cultivate innovation in their work. Julia Cameron’s approach helps leaders of all industries break through mental blocks, develop clarity, and reconnect with their intuition, key skills for decision-making, problem-solving, and visionary leadership.
Why we recommend it: This book offers practical tools like Morning Pages and Artist Dates, which help leaders quiet the noise, spark new ideas, and lead with greater authenticity. If you want to think bigger, break out of ruts, and lead with creativity, The Artist’s Way is your guide.
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"The true measure of productivity isn’t how many meetings you have, but how many meaningful outcomes you create."
