Meetings Shape Culture More Than You Think
Meetings aren’t just a tool for communication—they are a mirror reflecting how an organization truly functions. The way meetings are structured, who speaks, how decisions are made (or not made), and whether they energize or drain employees all tell a deeper story about the company’s culture.
If meetings are chaotic, disorganized, or dominated by a few voices, chances are the organization’s broader decision-making process is, too. If meetings are performative check-ins rather than places where real work happens, employees may feel their time isn’t valued. If every decision requires a meeting, it might indicate a lack of trust or clarity in how work gets done.
Meetings Aren’t the Problem—They’re a Symptom
People love to complain about meetings, but the problem isn’t meetings themselves. It’s how they are used (or misused). And beyond meetings, an organization's routines and rituals—like decision-making processes, feedback loops, and even how teams celebrate wins—reinforce how work gets done.
Consider these key questions:
✅ Who is in the room? Are decisions made by a small, exclusive group, or is there transparency and inclusion?
✅ Is the purpose clear? Are meetings structured around outcomes, or do they exist because “we’ve always had this meeting”?
✅ How are decisions made? Does your company rely on consensus, leadership mandates, or endless back-and-forths that stall action?
✅ What happens after? Are meetings where action plans are set, or do they end in ambiguity, with follow-ups lost in the shuffle?
Beyond Meetings: The Rituals That Define Culture
Meetings are just one element of an organization’s culture. Other rituals—like how teams onboard new hires, how leaders share updates, or how performance is recognized—send equally strong signals about what’s valued.
Decision-Making Models: Do leaders seek input from the right stakeholders, or is decision-making opaque and inconsistent?
Async vs. Sync Work: Does everything require a meeting, or does the company empower teams to collaborate asynchronously?
Psychological Safety: Do employees feel comfortable raising concerns, or do meetings feel like spaces for performance rather than real dialogue?
Workload Balance: Are recurring meetings helping progress, or are they stealing time from deep work?
Culture is Built in the Small Moments
If your company has a meeting problem, you probably have a culture problem. The key isn’t just fewer meetings—it’s better meetings that reflect a culture of clarity, respect, and trust.
Before overhauling your meeting structure, take a step back. How does your organization work? How does it decide? How does it follow through? Fix those systems, and meetings will naturally improve.
Because meetings aren’t just where work happens—they’re where culture happens.
