Transform your team gatherings from time-wasters to mission-drivers
Quick Read (1 minute)
The data is clear: we're spending more time than ever in meetings. Microsoft's 2022 Work Trend Index reveals weekly meeting time has increased by 252% since February 2020, yet according to Harvard Business Review, 54% of leaders report their meetings don't effectively engage participants. The good news? Asking these five crucial questions before planning any meeting can transform your team gatherings from energy-draining to mission-driving. We'll introduce you to an easy framework - IMPACT - to help you remember and apply these principles easily.
The Real Cost of Skipping Pre-Meeting Planning
Let's be real - time is our most scarce and unrenewable resource. As a leader, you owe it to yourself and to your team to be good stewards of that resource. McKinsey's 2023 report shows that organizational leaders & managers spent over 50% of their week in meetings. Every minute spent in an unnecessary meeting is a minute not spent advancing your mission (not to mention the drain on your mental health). Yet how many of us take five minutes to question whether we need that standing weekly check-in that everyone secretly dreads?Â
The Essential Pre-Meeting Questions
Purpose Clarity: "Why are we really meeting?"
Here's a radical thought: "updates" is not a meeting purpose. Neither is "touching base" or "checking in." A clear purpose answers the question: "What needs to be different after we meet?"
Use this purpose statement framework:
"This meeting will [action verb] [specific outcome] by [key method/approach]"
Examples:
Weak: "Weekly team updates"
Better: "This meeting will identify and remove program or project barriers by having direct problem-solving conversations between team members."
Ask yourself:
Could this be handled through email, Slack, or a shared document?
Do we need real-time discussion and interaction?
Is there a specific decision or outcome we need to reach?
Participant Selection: "Who truly needs to be here?"
In most work cultures (particularly mission-driven organizations), we often default to including everyone in everything - after all, we value inclusion, right? But there's a difference between inclusive culture and ineffective meetings. In her book "The Art of Gathering," Priya Parker introduces the concept of "generous exclusion" - the idea that being truly inclusive often means being strategically exclusive. By carefully curating who attends, you create a focused space where meaningful work can happen. This is also strongly connected to your meeting’s purpose. When you’re specific about why you’re meeting, you can be more intentional about who needs to be there.
Consider:
Who needs to be involved in this specific decision or discussion?
Who will be directly impacted by the meeting outcomes?
Whose expertise is essential for moving forward?
Real-world example: A nonprofit's weekly staff meeting included all 15 team members because "everyone should know what's happening." After applying generous exclusion, they restructured to a 6-person program lead meeting focused on cross-team coordination, with broader updates shared via a weekly digest. Result? More focused discussions and 9 people getting 2 hours back in their week.
Time Allocation: "How long does this actually need?"
Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available. Meetings are no exception. Instead of defaulting to 30 or 60 minutes, try:
Starting with the desired outcome and working backward
Allocating specific time blocks for each agenda item
Building in buffer time for nonprofit-specific challenges (like late arrivals due to client emergencies)
In other words, map your time based on deliverables, not habit.
For example:
Weekly Staff Meeting Time Mapping:
Identify deliverables: Team alignment on weekly priorities and overcoming program or project barriers
Break down components:
Weekly priority sharing: 10 minutes (2 min per team)
Barrier identification: 5 minutes
Solution discussion: 15 minutes
Action item recap: 5 minutes
Add 5-minute buffer
Total time needed: 40 minutes (not the default 60)
Remember: A focused 20-minute meeting beats a rambling hour every time.
Outcome Definition: "What does success look like?"
"Group discussion" is not a meeting outcome. Neither is "increased awareness." Get specific:
What decisions need to be made?
What actions need to be assigned?
How will we know if the meeting was successful?
Use this outcome statement framework:
"By the end of this meeting, we will have [tangible result] that [describes impact]"
Examples:
Weak: "Discuss program/project updates"
Better: "By the end of this meeting, we will have a prioritized list of barriers or challenges and assigned owners for each solution"
Format Choice: "What's the best way to achieve this?"
Not every meeting needs to be a full-team meeting. Your environment should serve your purpose. Consider:
Does this need synchronous discussion?
Is an off-site location more conducive?
Would a walking meeting work better for a creative discussion?
Could this be a hybrid meeting with some folks joining remotely?
Would breaking into smaller groups be more effective?
The format - whether it’s in-person or virtual - should allow your members to be their fullest and best selves.
A Framework for Meeting Design
Use this acronym to improve the impact of all of your gatherings:
The IMPACT Framework
I - Intention (Purpose)
M - Members (People)
P - Pacing (Time)
C - Conclusion (Outcome)
T - Type (Format)
Putting It Into Practice
Here's your one-minute meeting assessment tool using this framework:
Check for IMPACT
Intention: Are you clear with why you're meeting? Do you have a specific purpose?
Members: Are the right people at the table? If needed, practice generous exclusion.
Pacing: Is your timing realistic for the task at hand? Map backwards from your deliverables.
Conclusion: Do you know what success looks like?
Type: What's the most effective format for this meeting?
If you can't answer all five questions with confidence, you're probably not ready to schedule that meeting.
Quick Takeaway
Before scheduling your next meeting, use IMPACT to ensure you've covered all bases. Remember: every minute saved in an unnecessary meeting is a minute that could be spent advancing your mission.
Want to dive deeper? Download our Meeting Design Worksheet for a complete guide to planning effective meetings that actually move your mission forward.
References
Microsoft. (2022). Great expectations: Making hybrid work work. from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/great-expectations-making-hybrid-work-work
Laker, B., Pereira, V., Malik, A., & Soga, L. (2022, March 9). Dear manager, you’re holding too many meetings. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/03/dear-manager-youre-holding-too-many-meetings
McKinsey & Company. (2023). The State of Organizations. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-state-of-organizations-2023
Parker, P. (2018). The art of gathering: How we meet and why it matters. Riverhead Books.
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