If you’ve ever looked at your calendar and thought, “When am I supposed actually to do my work?” you’re not alone. Meetings are one of the most common pain points for business owners and their teams.
When meetings have no purpose, no agenda, or no clear outcome, they quickly become frustrating. The truth is, businesses need meetings to keep people aligned, but not all meetings are created equal. A good meeting system creates clarity on who is responsible for what, provides space for collaboration, and gives leaders visibility on what’s really happening in the business.
Creating Your Meeting Rhythm
Instead of allowing meetings to randomly fill the calendar, design a simple meeting rhythm that is predictable and purposeful. Think of it like creating a healthy schedule for your business—it keeps everyone energized and focused instead of jumping from one pointless conversation to the next. Here are the core building blocks:
- Quarterly Strategic Meetings
Every few months, step back from the day-to-day and look at the bigger picture. Are you moving closer to your goals? What’s working in the business and what’s not? These meetings help ensure the company isn’t stuck in the weeds and that leadership stays focused on where the business is headed. This will also help inform your weekly agenda.
- Weekly Staff Meeting with a Clear Agenda
A weekly team meeting should be short, structured, and focused. Set a clear agenda that covers updates, priorities, and problems that need input from the group. Avoid turning this into a status report session where everyone goes around the table just to talk. Keep the focus on alignment and solving issues that impact the team.
- 1:1 Meetings with a Set Agenda
Regular one-on-ones between managers and their direct reports are non-negotiable for a healthy business. These meetings shouldn’t just be “check-ins.” They should have a set agenda that balances project updates, roadblocks, performance feedback, and time for the employee to bring up what’s on their mind. This is where trust is built and coaching happens.
- Ad-Hoc Problem-Solving Sessions
Not every challenge needs its own scheduled weekly meeting. Instead, create space for short, focused sessions when a specific problem comes up that requires fast collaboration. Teach your team not to default to “let’s have a meeting” but instead choose the best way to solve the issue—sometimes a quick Slack thread or phone call does the trick.
The goal is to stop wasting time with the “do you have a sec?” conversations by having intentional meetings.
To really do this right, you want to start with a yearly strategic planning session and every meeting needs to touch on those key issues moving forward. It’s about creating the meeting operating system from the top down.
The Importance of Agendas
The best way to prevent “death by meetings” is to make sure each meeting has:
- A clear agenda sent out beforehand.
- A facilitator (often the manager) who keeps the discussion on track.
- A defined outcome: what decision or action needs to come out of this meeting?
- A time limit. Meetings expand to fill the space they’re given, so be intentional about the length. And if you finish early, end the meeting instead of bringing up another topic.
Why This Works
Good meetings create clarity, solve problems faster, and keep communication flowing without eating up your whole day. When your meeting rhythm is right, your team knows what to expect and can focus on doing their best work.
If meetings feel like a time suck right now, try this rhythm. It’ll give your business structure without the overwhelm—and free up time for what really matters.
Ways to Work Together
If you are feeling trapped in your business and not experiencing the freedom you want, here are two ways we can work together.
Business Roadmap: This is for business owners who want clear, actionable next steps—not another generic course. Get a plan tailored to your business, clarity on what matters, and the resources to move forward. Walk away knowing exactly what to do—and what to ignore—so you can save time, money, and avoid years of frustration. 3 hours of time to save months of frustration. You ready?
Clarity Call: Ready to build a business that gives you true freedom? I create custom solutions tailored to your industry, goals, and vision of success—so you can love your business again. Click above to schedule a call to clarify your goals, tackle roadblocks, and see how we can work together.
A thirdway, and I know I only said three, but sometimes I can’t help myself. If you are feeling stuck and are in need of resources, reach out. I am happy to point you in the right direction and even provide an asset of my own to help you move forward.
Stephanie German is a business strategist, adjunct professor, and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and loves giving back to her community in a variety of ways. When she’s not coaching clients or writing about leadership, Stephanie is usually headed to the mountains or the beach with her family, drinking savory wine, or working on the latest project with her husband. Stephanie’s greatest desires are to raise up the next generation of leaders while raising her own children to be strong, independent, and brave. She lives in Fresno, California with her husband Blake and her three spunky daughters, Cara, Kinsey, and Peyton. She is the best-selling author of So Your Boss Can’t Lead?