Move Forward Faster by Adding Intention to your Meetings 💪
🎶
“It’s time to get intentional”
🎶
From the song, “It’s Time To Get Intentional” by Suzan Alakas
You hop on a Zoom call at 11 am… but 40 minutes later, you’re still trying to figure out what the meeting is even about. 🧐
If you’ve ever walked away from a meeting thinking, “That could’ve been an email…” or “I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do”, then this post is for you. 😊
• Originally written: 25 March 2025
• Last updated: 25 March 2025
• Written by: Suzan Alakas
Suzan is Growtharmony’s Founder and Editor-In-Chief. She is passionate about spreading positive, solution-oriented media via songs and other formats - all in an effort to make the world a better place! When Suzan’s not writing, finding leverage points or learning something new, you can find her in the garden, playing in the snow with her family, or in the kitchen cooking up a nourishing meal!
No More Pointless Meetings! 😎
Meetings without clear goals.
Meetings without decision-makers present.
Meeting that are not an effective use of your time.
Sound familiar? 🫤
Whether you’re collaborating with clients, vendors, or your own small team, ineffective meetings can seriously slow you down. Projects stall, things fall through the cracks, and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
Today we’re address this inefficiency and giving you some tools shift your meetings into ones that spark alignment, clarity and forward progress! 💪
Let’s get into how to be more intentional with your meetings!
1. Start with an Agenda ✨
Yes, even for small or informal meetings an agenda can be a big help!
Why?
Because an agenda answers two essential questions up front:
• What are we here to discuss?
• What outcome are we trying to achieve?
Even just jotting down a few bullet points in an email or calendar invite:
✅ Helps everyone come prepared
✅ Lets people know if they even need to be there
✅ Gives the brain a head start (our brains process better when we know what to expect!)
Plus, referring to the agenda during the meeting is a great way to keep meetings on track, on time and on topic!
2. Clarify WHO is Responsible - And By WHEN
During the meeting, take a moment to note the action items:
• What are the next steps?
• Who is taking ownership?
• When will it be done - or when will you check in again?
This doesn’t have to be complicated. 😎
A simple shared doc or bullet-point summary can work wonders!
When people know their roles and and are given timelines - confusion decreases and follow-through increases! Woot woot! ✨
3. Send a Quick Recap (aka "Minutes")
Ok, it may sound a bit formal, but sending a short summary afterward helps everyone to:
Remember what was decided
Stay accountable
Feel like progress is happening! 🙌
Whether you write up a detailed summary, a quick note or even a take photo of a whiteboard - this tiny step can you lots of time and prevent many disagreements!
Sooo… Spend a Few Extra Minutes to Save Hours!
Being intentional with your meetings may feel tedious at first (especially when you’re short on time), but it actually creates a structure for creativity, collaboration, and aligned decision-making to happen in.
When people are clear, prepared, and on the same page…
✨ Things move faster.
✨ Ideas flow easier.
✨ And YOU stay in your zone of genius (instead of chasing follow-ups or fixing miscommunications!)
Over to you! 😎
Here are some questions for you to consider:
What came up for you as you read about adding intentionality to your meeting? Did it sound tedious? Like a waste of time? Or freeing? Helpful?
Do you use a system for agendas and meeting notes? Why or why not?
Have you ever tried sending a recap or defining action steps clearly in writing?
Here’s to more effective meetings! 💛
Here are ways to leverage nature’s power to reduce stress and increase productivity!
✨ Take our 30 minute ‘Nourishing Meals at HALF the Cost” training to save BIG on your grocery bills and food preparation costs!
✨ Subscribe to the Growtharmony YouTube Channel for more uplifting, actionable tips and videos!