Why Your Team Might Be Craving More Meetings

When I stepped into my role as a supervisor, I had a clear vision — things I wanted to implement and things I absolutely did not. That vision was greatly shaped by my experiences with both great supervisors and not-so-great ones. With a deep appreciation for effective leadership styles, I was determined to make a positive impact on my team.

I knew I had a lot to learn, but one thing I was resolute about: I would not hold unnecessary meetings. From the start, I was convinced that meetings without a clear purpose were a waste of time. If there wasn’t a strong reason to gather, I simply wouldn’t schedule one. Instead, I focused on frequent training sessions and informal daily conversations with my team. I thought I had mastered team communication. Things were running smoothly — or so I thought.

A Surprising Wake-Up Call

An exit interview changed everything. As the departing employee reflected on their experience, I asked a simple question: What do you wish I had done differently as your supervisor? Their response caught me off guard. Regular meetings. Wait, what? Regular meetings? The very thing I had been so proudly avoiding? I couldn’t wrap my head around it at first. Who would actually want to sit through meetings?

Intrigued, I started asking around. To my surprise, other team members echoed similar sentiments. The consensus was clear: Formal, regular team meetings have their place. This made me pause and reflect. They needed an opportunity to provide status reports and share their accomplishments. Here I was, thinking I was doing everyone a favor by avoiding meetings, when in reality, I was removing an important platform for team connection and recognition.

The Value of Formal, Regular Team Meetings

Here’s what I learned about why formal, regular team meetings matter:

• They provide a platform to highlight individual accomplishments. Team meetings provide a space where employees can discuss their projects, celebrate milestones, and ensure their efforts are recognized by both leadership and peers.
• They help everyone stay informed about their colleagues’ work. Keeping up with different team members’ responsibilities enhances collaboration, prevents redundancy, and helps employees strengthen relationships and reinforce the feeling of working toward shared goals.
• They allow individuals to understand how their contributions align with the bigger picture. When employees understand how their contributions align with broader organizational objectives, they feel more engaged and motivated to drive results.

The lesson? Formal, regular team meetings provide a rhythm to communication, ensuring that people feel heard, recognized, and part of something bigger than their individual tasks. Now, I still believe in purposeful meetings. But it’s not about having meetings just for the sake of having meetings. It’s about providing your team with a dedicated space to build trust, share information, and develop a shared sense of purpose. And that is something no leader should overlook.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a Procurement Analyst for the Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DPCAP) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). She serves as a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense.

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