Eight Ways to End Meeting Misery

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Meetings should be where work happens, not where productivity goes to die. Yet, too often, they drain people’s energy instead of driving results. If your organization’s meetings are plagued by not-so-subtle multitasking, vague agendas, or the same three people doing all of the talking, you have plenty of company. Ineffective meetings are a major frustration for leaders and employees alike. Making small, intentional changes can transform meetings from tedious obligations into high-impact conversations — but most leaders don’t know how to get there.

Novel answers, based on research and real-world lessons, can reshape how your team runs meetings. Eight essential insights from MIT SMR’s expert contributors are:

1. Call B.S. on multitasking.  “How do we get to a tech-free environment in meetings where people’s full attention is crucial? Announce clear expectations and expect pushback.”  “Start with a statement that devices are to be turned completely off. Alternatively, allow technology, but only for very clearly stated purposes, like note-taking or looking at something when instructed to. And be prepared to call people out. (Let’s be real: There is a lot of lying about ‘only using it for note-taking.’)”
2. Choreograph the meeting — don’t wing it.  “Choreographers carefully consider the number of dancers on the stage, the sequence of movements, and the set. Just as dance integrates these elements, so, too, does meeting choreography: A leader can shape the conversational space before, during, and after a discussion, thereby influencing the acceptance of key decisions, the performance of critical personnel, and team spirit.”  To enhance meeting choreography, leaders should focus attention on why, who, what, when, where and how.
3. Assign a critical reviewer.   “Introducing a critical reviewer changes the entire dynamic of a meeting: Teams become more deliberate, and discussions go deeper. The critical reviewer’s primary responsibility is to challenge assumptions, ask probing questions, and ensure that every angle is explored before a decision is made. This role not only fosters better outcomes but also creates an environment in which people feel encouraged to think critically and contribute meaningfully.”
4. Recognize the realities of virtual meeting side chats.  The existence of dissenting voices themselves isn’t a problem. Rather, it’s problematic when widely held below-the-surface dissent builds up and is never expressed publicly to leadership or to those beyond a certain side-chat group.”
5. Confront the elephant in the room.   “When people avoid discussing difficult topics in meetings — perhaps out of fear of conflict or discomfort with the power dynamics — tensions will rise.  “For leaders, addressing the emotional impact this behavior is having on the meeting without blaming others is important. The leader can voice their own frustration to dissipate the tension and open a conversation. This can also deepen the connections within the team. To get the job done, you might need to incorporate a conversational device or even a physical prop.”
6. Ask questions that make people speak up.   “One of the most common missteps leaders make is asking broad, nonspecific questions like ‘What do you think?’ or ‘Does anyone have any input?’ While these questions might seem open and inviting, research found that they had just a 51% chance of receiving any dissent.  “More effective questions directly invite disagreement. Instead of asking, ‘Does anyone agree with this plan?’ consider asking, ‘What could go wrong with this approach?’ or, ‘What are the potential risks we haven’t considered?’ Questions like these make clear that the leader is actively seeking alternative and potentially challenging perspectives. This subtle shift frames disagreement as something the leader desires — and people are wired to give leaders what they want.
7. Make debate feel encouraged.   “As CEO of Red Hat, [Jim] Whitehurst thought of himself as the company’s head debater: He was engaging in candid discussions on important topics and making sure others did the same. He recalled that IBM was different: ‘I’d walk in a meeting at IBM … and everybody tried to say, “OK, what kind of mood is he in?” And then it’s like they wanted to structure things around what I wanted to hear.’”   “To counterbalance employees’ desire to agree with the boss, Whitehurst would sometimes argue the opposite side of what he believed. Once team members realized that he was using that tactic, they felt more comfortable sharing their candid opinions.
8. Implement meeting-free days.  “While it may seem counterintuitive, our research concluded that having too many meetings detracts from effective collaboration, derails workers during their most productive hours, and interrupts people’s train of thought. Consequently, removing 60% of meetings — the equivalent of three days per week — increased cooperation by 55%. Workers replaced meetings with better ways of connecting one-on-one, at a pace suitable for them, often using project management tools to aid communication. In doing so, the risk of stress decreased by 57%, which improved employees’ psychological, physical, and mental well-being.”