iscover
Transforming your meetings doesn’t require a complete overhaul – just a shift in a few key habits, writes Graham Winter.
What’s your attitude towards meetings? Essential but deeply flawed? A necessary evil that drains time and energy? It’s a common story – wasteful meetings are everywhere. Endless discussions that go nowhere, rabbit holes that pull everyone into distraction, and, worst of all, no real outcomes. We’ve all been there. But what if your meetings could be something different?
The good news? Transforming your meetings doesn’t require a complete overhaul – just a shift in a few key habits. As James Clear writes in Atomic Habits: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” The same goes for meetings. With the right mindset and a few simple adjustments, you can turn every meeting into powerful moments of alignment, action, and shared success. Here’s how you can start turning meeting madness into meaningful progress today by embracing five transformational habits.
Habit 1: Share the big picture
Meetings either have a clear purpose or they drift aimlessly, wasting time and energy. Start every meeting by framing the big picture. Ask and confirm, “Why are we here today, and how does this connect to our goals?” Without a clear purpose, meetings encourage people to pursue separate agendas and waste everyone’s time.
Take action: Commit to a ritual of setting the context at the start of every meeting. Clearly outline the purpose, link it to your broader goals, and make sure everyone understands why they are there and what a successful meeting outcome means.
Habit 2: Share the reality
For any meeting to deliver results, participants must feel safe speaking up about the real challenges – not just the easy stuff. If the tough conversations are avoided, so are the solutions. That’s why many organisations now appoint a facilitator who does more than just “manage the meeting”. Their role is to act as the “guardian of the process”, ensuring the conversation stays aligned with goals, everyone is heard, and there’s a commitment to actions.
Take action: Appoint a skilled facilitator who invites participation, keeps the time in check, and steers the conversation back on track when needed. They should summarise key points, call out avoidance, and capture actions as they arise – driving the team towards real outcomes, not just another round of talk.
Habit 3: Share the air
The best meetings are dynamic conversations where everyone gets a say – not monologues dominated by a few loud voices. The Think One Team habit is to actively seek succinct input from each person. As Google’s Project Aristotle found, psychological safety and balanced participation are key drivers of effective teams. When everyone contributes to meetings, decisions are better, trust deepens, and innovative solutions are more likely.
Take action: Actively manage participation rather than letting it go towards the extroverts or the disaffected. Invite input from quieter members and create space for diverse perspectives. Use targeted questions or ask for specific input to draw quieter voices into the conversation. By ensuring balanced contributions, your meetings will be more engaging and effective for everyone.
Habit 4: Share the load
Meetings fall apart when people protect their own turf or wait for others to step up. Instead, the positive habit is to align on priorities and support each other to get the job done. That means being explicit about roles and expectations and having the conversation about conflicting priorities.
Take action: Define roles and responsibilities clearly at the start and during each meeting. Regularly review who’s doing what and by when to ensure tasks are shared fairly. This is called the “3W’s” (Why – Who - When). Teams that close off topics with the 3W’s have clear actions and build a culture of collective accountability.
Habit 5: Share the wins and losses
End your meetings with the 3W’s and a brief shared reflection on what worked and what didn’t. This openness to reflect and learn sets a tone that is the opposite of blame games, defensiveness, and missed opportunities. The disciplined commitment to debriefing is a common characteristic of top-performing teams, and it is a great way to highlight improvement opportunities and celebrate successes.
Take action: Wrap up every meeting with a quick debrief. Ask, “What went well? What can we do better next time?” Recognise small wins, learn from the losses, and keep the momentum going.
One team, one meeting at a time
Meetings don’t have to be painful or a waste of time. By adopting the Five Shares habits, you can transform your meetings from frustrating time sinks into focused, engaging sessions that drive real outcomes. The key is simple habits: set the context with the big picture, create a safe environment for open dialogue, ensure balanced participation, clarify roles and responsibilities, and finish with reflection and celebration.
Every meeting is an opportunity to align, connect, and move forward together. These habits aren’t about adding complexity – they’re about simplifying, creating clarity, and making every conversation count. By embedding these practices, leaders across a wide range of workplaces have seen immediate improvements in meeting effectiveness and in fostering stronger, more collaborative team cultures. This shift isn’t just about having better meetings; it’s about building a one-team mindset where every discussion moves you closer to your goals.
Pause and reflect. Are your meetings helping you achieve what matters, or are they holding you back? With the one-team approach and these five simple habits, you can reshape your meetings – and your team – one step at a time. In your next meeting, start with these five habits. Watch how quickly they shift your team’s performance.
Graham Winter is a psychologist, author, and founder of Think One Team Consulting. He served as chief psychologist for three Australian Olympic teams.
