How do you handle meeting fatigue and burnout among your team members?

1 Assess your meeting culture

The first step is to evaluate your current meeting culture and identify the root causes of meeting fatigue and burnout. How many meetings do you have per week? How long do they last? How clear are the objectives and agendas? How relevant are they to the participants? How well do they facilitate interaction and feedback? How do they align with your team's goals and priorities? Ask yourself and your team members these questions and gather honest feedback to understand what works and what doesn't in your meetings.

2 Reduce and prioritize your meetings

The next step is to reduce the number and duration of your meetings and prioritize the ones that are truly necessary and valuable. You can do this by applying some criteria, such as the purpose, the outcome, the urgency, the frequency, and the audience of each meeting. You can also use tools like calendars, project management software, or meeting schedulers to plan and coordinate your meetings more efficiently and avoid conflicts and overlaps. Try to limit your meetings to the minimum amount of time and people needed to achieve the desired results.

3 Set clear expectations and rules

The third step is to set clear expectations and rules for your meetings and communicate them to your team members in advance. This includes defining the objectives, the agenda, the roles, the timing, and the deliverables of each meeting. You should also establish some ground rules for meeting etiquette, such as being punctual, prepared, respectful, attentive, and concise. By setting clear expectations and rules, you can ensure that your meetings are focused, organized, and productive.

4 Make your meetings interactive and fun

The fourth step is to make your meetings interactive and fun by encouraging participation, feedback, and creativity. You can do this by using various techniques, such as icebreakers, polls, quizzes, games, brainstorming, or breakout sessions. You can also use different formats, such as video calls, webinars, or podcasts, to add some variety and engagement to your meetings. By making your meetings interactive and fun, you can boost your team's morale, motivation, and collaboration.

5 Follow up and follow through

The fifth step is to follow up and follow through after your meetings and ensure that the actions and decisions are implemented and monitored. You can do this by sending a summary, a transcript, or a recording of the meeting to your team members, along with the key takeaways, the next steps, and the deadlines. You should also assign tasks, track progress, provide feedback, and celebrate achievements. By following up and follow through, you can reinforce the value and impact of your meetings and keep your team accountable and aligned.

6 Take care of yourself and your team

The sixth and final step is to take care of yourself and your team and prevent or cope with meeting fatigue and burnout. You can do this by scheduling some breaks, downtime, or wellness activities between or after your meetings, such as stretching, meditating, walking, or chatting. You should also respect your team's work-life balance and avoid scheduling meetings outside of their working hours or during their personal time. By taking care of yourself and your team, you can enhance your well-being, performance, and satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?