Last week, I went to war with bullshit meetings.
This week, we focus on the ones you actually need. If a meeting is unavoidable, you have an obligation to make it productive.
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In Death by Meeting, Patrick Lencioni notes that meetings themselves aren’t the enemy; a lack of clear purpose is. Use them to make a decision or solve a collaborative problem. If the goal is just a “status update,” send an email instead.
Transform your invites from “dreaded” to “productive” with these three rules:
Define the output. Every invite should target a specific result, like an aligned strategy or a solved bottleneck. If you can’t name the outcome, cancel the meeting.
Trim the guest list. Bloated rooms stifle momentum. Limit the room to essential decision-makers. Use email to keep everyone else informed without stealing their afternoon.
Lead with the purpose. Be explicit in the calendar invite. When people know exactly why they’re in the room, they arrive ready to contribute.
High-functioning teams treat time as their most valuable asset. Focus on the finish line, keep it lean, and get back to the work that drives growth.
Meeting Hygiene
Meetings should produce an outcome: a decision, a solved problem, or a clear next step. That’s the kind of executive-level rigor we practice in CPO Studio. Want fewer meetings and more outcomes? Learn more at CPO.studio.