Optimising meeting culture: Strategies for effective, energising collaboration
At The PR Network (PRN), we’ve always been a virtual-first business. We recognise the importance of cutting unnecessary meetings and admin to create space for more meaningful, energising collaboration. But how do you do that without losing the cultural benefits of bringing people together? We recently hosted a PRN Collective session with Dr. Carrie Goucher, an expert in meeting culture and collaboration, to explore this very question.
Dr. Goucher has worked with some of the world’s leading organisations, from Google to Microsoft, helping them transform their meeting structures for the modern workplace. Her insights offered practical strategies for organisations to turn meetings from time-consuming obligations into energising, productive experiences. Her focus? How to create more value from every meeting while cutting out the inefficiencies that plague many businesses.
Rethinking meeting culture
Her approach aligns perfectly with how we operate at PRN and highlights three critical areas where businesses can improve their meeting culture:
Reducing the volume of meetings: Not every conversation warrants a meeting. By moving routine updates and information sharing to asynchronous tools such as email or video messages, teams can reserve meetings for collaboration, decision-making, and trust-building
Implementing social contracting: Clear social contracting means setting expectations, roles, and goals before meetings begin. This alignment ensures that everyone is on the same page and understands the meeting’s purpose
Enhancing candid conversations: In our experience, the best meetings are those that drive honest, open conversations. By fostering environments that encourage constructive disagreement, teams can achieve more meaningful outcomes
And some key tools for optimising meetings:
The Law of two feet: If you’re not contributing or gaining value from a meeting, feel empowered to leave. This principle ensures individuals can focus on where they can truly add value
Positive no’s: Before accepting a meeting invite, evaluate whether your unique input is essential. If not, saying no is perfectly acceptable
Five-in-five rule: For meetings that require updates, limit presentations to five minutes with five slides, forcing clarity and conciseness
Structured questions: Instead of vague agendas, frame meetings around specific questions. This helps drive focused discussions and problem-solving
Conclusion
For a business like ours, where virtual working has always been our norm, optimising meetings is about striking the perfect balance - reducing unnecessary admin while keeping the cultural connection that makes collaboration meaningful.
By shifting focus to outcomes and meaningful conversation, teams can regain control over their time and create more value. If your team is ready to rethink meetings, we’re here to help. Start with these insights and see the difference.