--- title: 6 Tips to Overcome Meeting Madness description: As business environments grow increasingly complex, we must incorporate clear, concise communication exchanges in order to avoid meeting madness. image: https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/hubfs/blog-featured-images/6-Tips-Meeting-Madness.webp --- [![Velocity Advisory Group](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Velocity-Logo-2023-Wide-1.png)](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/) ☰ Menu - About - [Meet Our Team](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/about/) - [Meet Our Coaches](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/coaches/) - [Careers](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/careers/) - [Speaking Engagements](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/velocity-speakers/) - Solutions - [Culture & Engagement](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/culture-engagement/) - [DISC Assessments & Training](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/disc-assessments-training/) - [Employee Experience](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/employee-experience/) - [Executive Coaching](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/executive-coaching/) - [Family Business](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/family-business/) - [Leadership Development](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/leadership-development/) - [Sales Training](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/5cs-of-selling/) - [Strategy & Implementation](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/strategy-implementation/) - Resources - [Activating Greatness Podcast](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/podcast/) - [Blog](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/blog/) - [Case Studies](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/case-studies/) - [News and Announcements](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/news-and-events/) - [OrderDisc](https://orderdisc.com/) - [Upcoming Events](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/upcoming-events/) - Industries - [Construction](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/construction/) - [Financial Services](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/financial-services/) - [Life Sciences](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/lifesciences/) - [Contact](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/contact/) Insights & NewsInsights August 3, 2022 # 6 Tips to Overcome Meeting Madness **When you think of meetings … what emotion does that evoke?**  *Frustration? Anxiety? Annoyance?*  Unfortunately, meeting madness is normal in many of today’s workplaces, whether you’re in-office, fully remote, or have a hybrid model. Our calendars are booked and we try to keep our eyelids open for back-to-back-to-back meetings that don’t seem to apply to our responsibilities.  While some of these meetings turn out to be meaningless, it’s critical to recognize the potential value of these collaborations and make the most of them through effective meeting strategies. As innovation and change is happening faster than any other time in history and business environments grow increasingly complex, we must incorporate clear, concise communication exchanges in order to survive — and maybe even thrive.  What is it about these time suckers that causes so much frustration? After putting some thought into this, I concluded that meetings are an intersection of this finite thing called *time* (which we are limited to 40*ish* hours in a work week) and *communication*, an infinitely complex interpretation of how we express our thoughts and how our words are received. Without structure and a deliberate approach, this intersection of *time* and *communication* descends into a black hole of productivity.  So how do we solve this collaborative communication conundrum? Here are six tips that will help your organization execute great meetings resulting in productive outcomes.  ## **Know the Meeting Objective** Sounds simple, right? But far too often, we have meetings “because we always had them.” A manager takes the reins, spouts some things they think they are supposed to talk about, like what happened last week, and what is going to happen this week, asks if there are questions (which there rarely are), and then everyone goes on their way. It’s CRITICAL to establish an INTENT to the meeting. Is it to collect KPIs? Inspire? Gather team sentiment? Solve a problem? Ensure we are accountable on a project? If we don’t have a C.O.R.E. GOAL (Calculable, Observable, Reasonable, End-In-Mind) – then our meetings lack direction and purpose.  ## **Prepare Properly** Once we know the meeting’s intent and C.O.R.E. objective, then we will get a better sense of who to invite, how long it should be, and where it should be held. Frequently, we just start adding people to our invite list because it’s “easier.” Or we allow Outlook to set the time to one hour because it’s “easier.” We do a Zoom call because it’s “easier.” All of these “easy” defaults lead to the wrong people being in the wrong meeting for the wrong amount of time in the wrong setting.  Be intentional about your 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why).  ## **Create an Agenda** While this may seem obvious, it is often missed and frequently skipped for recurring meetings.  This helps attendees know the type of meeting, what they need to bring, who’s attending and the intended outcome. This also opens the door to allow participants to help shape the agenda. Setting expectations is critical for all collaborative communication.  ## **Create Action Items** When most meetings are complete, we often look at each other, say, “great job!” and then go back to our normal work schedule. Sometime during the day, we may think, “hmm, who’s going to execute on that idea we came up with?”  To avoid discussions which end up in a black hole of activity, identify the task, owner, and deadline at the conclusion of the meeting.  ## **Don’t Mix the Meetings** Have you ever been in a meeting where you are asked to report your KPIs, give team updates, and then there is a pivot on “what great ideas do you have” that leads to a team member’s recognition? Our brain is toggling back and forth from right side, to left side, back to right side. If we really need to dive in a solve a major problem, or we really need to celebrate a win together, or we really need to discuss organizational values, it’s imperative to isolate those meetings, set expectations and keep them the length of time needed to address those challenges.  ## **Navigate Meeting Villains** The greatest challenges to any meeting are the villains in attendance. Personalities that perpetuate conflict, distractions, false consensus, or perfection will quickly derail any meeting. The best way to navigate this is to set expectations for the meeting at the beginning, and then professionally address the villainous behavior as it emerges.  Focus on the behavior, not the person. (Tip: [Learning how your co-workers communicate](https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/disc-assessments-training/) and how to work more effectively with different personalities can make a huge difference not only in meeting situations but throughout your workday.) --- All of these best practices require a little extra time, thought and practice, but once implemented will lead to *fewer* meetings that are *more* productive and help your organization achieve your key objectives.  Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/6-tips-to-overcome-meeting-madness) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/6-tips-to-overcome-meeting-madness) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/6-tips-to-overcome-meeting-madness) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/6-tips-to-overcome-meeting-madness) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/6-tips-to-overcome-meeting-madness) [Insights](https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/tag/insights) [Leadership & Coaching](https://coaching.velocityadvisorygroup.com/insights/tag/leadership-coaching) ## Ready to activate greatness on your team? 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