Meetings for Effective Collaboration

Meetings in the workplace have room for improvement, especially with the rise of remote work. One significant issue is that meetings often become a means of sharing information. Software Engineers’ work is abstract, and this tendency carries over to how meetings are conducted. Yet, more than discussing ideas alone is needed to translate into action or progress. Abstract concepts may sound appealing at the moment but fade from memory.

Chaotic and inefficient meetings occur when there are fewer participants, whether a call or a group chat. Avoid group chats, especially for sensitive topics. Treat them like a sauna: schedule them and be selective.

Avoid overpreparation and excessive control, as they may cause you to overlook critical aspects of the team. Remember, data is not the same as information and is not equal to knowledge. Likewise, learning does not guarantee mastery or lead to wisdom. Move away from legacy information-sharing methods that push information without consent. Use real-time communication channels instead.

What meetings are essential for our best work? Do our meetings have explicit purposes and structures? How are meetings facilitated and documented? How do we share meeting outcomes and output? Why do we have recurring meetings, if any? How does our meeting rhythm support or hinder our work? Do we need any specific tools or materials for our meetings? How can we improve or drop meetings that no longer serve us? Humans crave connection and relatedness. Some meetings should align with human nature, while others should help us transcend it.

Remember, meetings serve as a communication tool. The information exchange rate in meetings could be higher, and adding more people to the group does not improve it. Sharing information remains one of the main activities in meetings, rather than executing projects and accomplishing tasks.

[¹]: Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?