Lack of participation during meetings has been one of the things that became more and more apparent over the COVID years.
With the rise of Zoom calls and temporary work-from-home orders, team members who would previously just passively not participate are now actively muting their mics, blacking out their cameras, and downright leaving meetings without rhyme or reason.

These behaviors can really bottleneck company growth and innovation, especially if the ones struggling to get that valuable feedback are small businesses. This leaves many entrepreneurs wondering what their next steps should be.
Should we just throw out meetings altogether?
Or is there a way to make meetings WORK again?
Get in the right mindset when it comes to meetings.
Is your answer YES to any of these questions?
- Is it important that everyone knows this new info, but you don’t need any feedback?
- Are you a little unsure of what you expect the outcome of the meeting to be?
- Will this meeting make a substantial difference in how your team or the company runs day to day?
- Are you calling a large number of spontaneous meetings as a way to socialize, boost morale, or lighten the mood during hectic time periods?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then you may be causing more harm than good to your entire company.
According to Harvard Business Review, “Attending too many {meetings} can be highly stressful and tiring, and both productivity and quality take a hit when employees tune out, become demotivated, and lose valuable heads-down work time.”

Want to make sure that you only call meetings when meetings are necessary and benefit your company?
Consider the following reasons where a meeting WILL be beneficial:
- Gather Feedback
- Make Decisions
- Skill Development
- Team Building
- Brainstorm New Ideas
Now that you know when a meeting should be called, let’s go over a few ways to make sure it is effective and reaches the goals set for it.
3 Tips To A Productive Meeting
- Only invite team members or employees who are necessary
- Prepare the invitees beforehand with an agenda and participation requirements
- Keep it brief (60-90 minutes)
- Stay Focused
- Park any off-topic comments
- Record assigned responsibilities so you can follow up
These tips work for both physical and virtual settings and can make the meetings with your team more enjoyable!
Need help getting your meetings in order? I’d love to help! Request information about my company, Davis Virtual Support, and the services I provide HERE.
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