Let’s be honest – when that meeting invite pops up, your first thought probably isn’t “fantastic!” Most of us see meetings as time thieves, creativity killers, and the reason we’re doing actual work at 7pm. But what if the problem isn’t meetings themselves, but how we approach them?

Think about it this way. Meetings are where decisions get made, relationships get built, and careers get noticed. The person who runs brilliant meetings becomes invaluable. The person who contributes smartly gets remembered. And the person who knows which meetings to skip? They’ve figured out what everyone else is missing.

 

Running Meetings That Don’t Make People Want to Scream

If you’re running a meeting, you have one job – respect everyone’s time. This means doing something pretty radical: actually preparing! Not just sending an agenda five minutes before (we all do it), but thinking through what needs to happen for the meeting to be worthwhile.

Start with this question: could this be an email? If yes, make it an email. If not, get crystal clear on what success looks like. Do you need a decision? Ideas? Buy-in? When you know what you want, you can guide the conversation there instead of letting it wander into that dreaded “let’s take this offline” territory.

Try This: Start your next meeting with “We’ll be successful today if we…” and fill in the blank. Watch how it focuses everyone’s thinking.

  

The Art of Strategic Contribution

Not running the meeting? You still have power. The mistake many people make is thinking they need to talk a lot to add value – generally wrong! The person who asks the perfect question often contributes more than the person who talks for ten minutes (saying nothing).

Here’s what smart contributors do:

• They prepare one strong point rather than five weak ones
• They build on others’ ideas instead of waiting to make their own
• They summarise when discussions start to go round in circles
• They ask “what would need to be true for this to work?”

  

Saying No (Without Becoming “That Person”)

The reality is – you don’t have to accept every meeting invite. But there’s an art to saying ‘no’ without looking like you’re not a team player. The trick is offering alternatives that show you’re engaged but protective of everyone’s time.

Pro Tip: When declining, try: “I don’t think I can add value to this discussion, but I’d love to see the notes”, or “Could we try handling this via email first? Happy to jump on a call if we get stuck.”

 

The Virtual Meeting Game-Changer

As we’re all learning, video calls have their own rules – and the person who masters them stands out. Turn your camera on (even when others don’t). Look at the camera when speaking, not at yourself. And here’s a power move – be the person who ends meetings early when things are done. “Looks like we’ve covered everything – let’s give everyone 15 minutes back.” You’ll be a hero!

Mute yourself when not talking, but stay engaged. Use the chat strategically to add links or clarify points without interrupting. And for the sake of everyone’s productivity, try to test your tech before the meeting starts.

 

Making Meetings Your Career Accelerator

The professionals who get promoted aren’t necessarily the ones who work longest – they’re the ones who communicate best. Meetings are your stage, so use them to demonstrate your clear thinking and good judgment, and the ability to move things forward.

Next time you’re in a meeting, instead of checking out mentally or multitasking (we see you typing!), try being fully present. Ask one good question. Make one clear point. Offer to own one action. Do this consistently, and watch how your reputation shifts from “meeting survivor” to “person who gets things done.”

In a world where everyone complains about meetings, being someone who makes them better is a superpower. You don’t need to love meetings. You just need to be better at them than everyone else.