Reclaim Meetings: Less Updating, More Innovating

Last week's Weekly Wisdom was a high-level challenge to critically assess your calendar and reimagine how your time is spent.

The goal: cut 5-7 hours off your calendar.

We waste an extraordinary amount of time with ineffectual meetings. In essence, using these precious hours to simply “update” the team rather than capitalize on the participants to catapult the work forward.

Deeper Dive - A New Approach to Meetings

You’ve chosen the right meetings and the right voices—now let’s design the structure that delivers real ROI.

The goal is to maximize time and unlock your team’s full potential. The “red-light, yellow-light, green-light” approach drives momentum by targeting the barriers that block success and surfacing solutions in real time.

Instead of using meetings for updates, tap into the collective insight to solve problems, spark progress, and keep the team moving.

• Share Updates via voice memo, email, or a weekly dashboard.

• Meetings become a space to challenge ideas, leverage wisdom, and capitalize on experience and support.

Process

Before Each Meeting

• Ask team members who have a red-light issue to provide a brief, high-level overview so others can reflect, formulate questions, and consider possible solutions prior to the meeting.

During Meeting

Only spend time on challenges and removing barriers, these meetings are active and produce results and solutions.

 Red-Light Challenges (Immediate Support Needed)

• Each red-light challenge receives focused, uninterrupted time.

• Presenter: Clearly explains the challenge, context, and what support or input is needed.

• Group: Begins with clarifying questions only—no solutions yet.

• Discussion: Once fully understood, the group offers solutions, ideas, and guidance to spark shared learning and actionable next steps.

 Yellow-Light Issues (Emerging Concerns / Anticipated Challenges)

• Once all red-light issues are discussed, shift focus to issues that are upcoming, uncertain, or require proactive thinking.

• Discuss potential scenarios, brainstorm strategies, and identify early interventions.

 Green-Light Wins (Progress & Celebration)

• Finally, review completed initiatives, successes, and positive outcomes.

• Recognize contributions, reflect on lessons learned from past red- or yellow-light challenges, and celebrate team momentum.

Timing

• Flexible and needs-based: some challenges may require 60 minutes, others 10.

• The emphasis is on resolution, clarity, and support—not rigid time limits.

Outcome

Each meeting becomes a catalyst for growth and progress: 

• The team collaborates on real challenges that matter.

• Members support each other’s development, and meaningful solutions emerge.

• Insight and wisdom flow freely, fueling momentum and alignment.

The result is an energized team, a clearer pathway forward, and momentum that compounds week after week.- Green Light!