The document provides tips for improving meetings by focusing on 5 key qualities: structure, roles, purpose and goals, action, and fun. It recommends defining clear meeting goals and outcomes, assigning roles to participants, creating agendas with topics and time limits, taking actions with owners and due dates, and making meetings enjoyable. Habit-forming tips include checking upcoming meetings and goals, and putting a checklist of qualities where it can be seen. The overall message is that meetings are problematic but can be improved by following best practices to be more productive and impactful.

1. Top 5 Meeting Tips
made possible by JIRA, Confluence & Trello
MARY RALEIGH | STRATEGY/OPS | ATLASSIAN | @MARYMARYKR
Bad Meeting Recovery Group
JOHN WETENHALL | STRATEGY/OPS | ATLASSIAN | @JWETENHALL

2. i’m in another so-so meeting
i figured

3. and trying not to freak out
stay calm john

4. i did
i did some yogic breathing

5. and tried to meditate
way to be john
and just focus on all the sounds i could hear

6. and meditated and thought about the physical space i was in
you closed your eyes in a meeting ?!?
then i closed my eyes

7. yeah i thought about doing some low
but i thought that might be distracting
“ohhmmmmms”

8. Progress

9. Agenda
Defining the meeting problem
5 easy solutions
Making an immediate impact

10. 62
meetings attended per month on average

12. $
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$$
$

13. I accept every
meeting invite I
get to look busy
Am I supposed to
be in charge?
I’m ALWAYS in
charge.
If I take notes, no
one will assign
me any work.
I heard there’d be
food. There’s no
food?!

14. daydreamin'
91%

15. Goal
Agenda

17. PracticesTools

18. Progress

19. Qualities of a good meeting
Action
Purpose & goals
Roles
Structure
Fun

20. SKILL

21. Agenda
Defining the meeting problem
5 easy solutions
Making an immediate impact

22. Qualities of a good meeting
Structure
Action
Purpose & goals
Roles
Fun

23. Purpose NOT worthy of a
meeting
Purpose worthy of a meeting
Request for help

24. Request for
help
Doc review
How to
Code review

25. Request for
help
Doc review
How to
Code review

26. Request for
help
Doc review
How to
Code review

27. Purpose NOT worthy of a
meeting
Purpose worthy of a meeting
Request for help
FYI

29. Request for help
FYI
Loneliness
Purpose NOT worthy of a
meeting
Purpose worthy of a meeting

30. Make a decision
Brainstorm
Operational Check-In
Project Kick-Off
Request for help
FYI
Loneliness
Purpose NOT worthy of a
meeting
Purpose worthy of a meeting

31. Turn purpose into progress.

32. Make a decision
Brainstorm
Operational Check-In
Project Kick-Off
Create list of ideas for IT teams campaign
Go/No Go decision made on campaign launch
Team knows each other’s top priorities for the
week.
Project team understands scope and end-to-
end project plan.
purpose goal outcome

33. Leader Check-List Participant Check-List
Do I need this meeting?
Is my meeting goal an outcome?
Is there a goal?

34. Qualities of a good meeting
Roles
Structure
Action
Purpose & goals
Fun

35. OHMMM
I’m just
planning what i’m
going to say
What
i’m saying is
important
SOS

36. river
pprover
ontributor
nformed
D
A
C
I

38. Leader Check-List Participant Check-List
Assign and share out roles
Know and own your role
Don’t take on every role yourself
Fewer attendees
Decline if you don’t have a role.
Do I need this meeting?
Is my meeting goal an outcome?
Is there a goal?

39. Qualities of a good meeting
Structure
Roles
Action
Purpose & goals
Fun

40. Intro
The Meat
Wrap it up
agenda
5-10 min
the bulk
> 3 min

45. Pro Tips
Use a timer
Check-in often
Parking lot

48. Are we on
track?
Our goal outcome: Go/No Go Decision

49. Updated talking
points and slide 21
Apr

50. Leader Check-List Participant Check-List
Time box discussion
Ask to review the agenda
Check-in mid-meeting
Review agenda at the start
Assign and share out roles
Know and own your role
Don’t take on every role yourself
Fewer attendees
Decline if you don’t have a role.
Do I need this meeting?
Is my meeting goal an outcome?
Is there a goal?

51. Qualities of a good meeting
Action
Structure
Roles
Purpose & goals
Fun

52. Every action must have an
Due DateOwner

58. What’s next?

59. Leader Check-List Participant Check-List
All actions have owners and due dates
Keep actions at the top of your agenda
Overcommunicate your action results
Ask to repeat actions at the meeting end
Time box discussion
Ask to review the agenda
Check-in mid-meeting
Review agenda at the start
Assign and share out roles
Know and own your role
Don’t take on every role yourself
Fewer attendees
Decline if you don’t have a role.
Do I need this meeting?
Is my meeting goal an outcome?
Is there a goal?

60. Qualities of a good meeting
Action
Structure
Roles
Purpose & goals
Fun

61. “Employees that have fun in the
workplace…
✓take less sick leave
✓work harder
✓and are more productive.”

65. Agenda
Defining the meeting problem
5 easy solutions
Making an immediate impact

66. PracticesTools
Confluence
JIRA Software
Trello
5 Qualities of meetings
Habit forming tips

67. Meetings =
big problem
Time, energy, and
money

68. You can do it!
For your team, your organization,
yourself

69. Qualities of a good meeting
Structure
Action
Purpose & goals
Roles
Fun

70. Turning bad into good

71. Purpose
Roles
Agenda
Follow up
Goal of the meeting
Decide: Go vs No-go on PR
Need: context
Fun

72. Purpose
Roles
Agenda
Follow up
Clear roles
Decision needs approver
Fun

73. Purpose
Roles
Structure
Follow up
Agenda
With topics, owners, and time limits
Fun

74. Purpose
Roles
Agenda
Follow up
Follow up actions
Capture & drive
Fun

75. Purpose
Roles
Agenda
Follow up
Have fun!
Fun

76. Build the skill
Reap the rewards

77. Roles
May be obvious (1:1) or quickly stated
Structure
Bullet point agenda in calendar invite
Purpose & goals
Agree via meeting invite or quick chat
Action
Track on a Confluence page
30m

78. 1h00 Purpose & goals
Shared beforehand for comments
Roles
Stated on the page in DACI format
Structure
Agenda with topics, owners & time
Action
Leave ample time to clarify

79. Structure
Detailed agenda with topics, owners &
time
8h00 Purpose & goals
Group buy-in achieved in advance
Roles
Stated beforehand for each topic
Action
Assign to all. Leader drives follow up

80. Make progress
Make an impact

81. Action items
Put checklist of meeting qualities on your monitor
Check calendar on Monday & review upcoming meetings
Make sure every meeting has clear goal outcomes
NOW!

83. Thank you!
MARY RALEIGH | STRATEGY/OPS | ATLASSIAN | @MARYMARYKR
JOHN WETENHALL | STRATEGY/OPS | ATLASSIAN | @JWETENHALL

84. Q&A