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Ali Khan
Co-founder
Has your day ever felt like a day full of responsibilities, and your calendar had too much going on, like being in a stand up meeting the whole time? It has gotten to the point that it was so messy you could not get a hold of it? You add up your tasks and know that throughout the day that would be impossible to finish everything on the calendar. A meeting cadence is a good way to clean up this messy calendar. But what is a meeting cadence, and how does it impact our everyday work schedule?
Your team's meeting cadence is simply how often you decide to meet. Rather than referring to the pace of a meeting once you start talking, it relates to how often people meet for a discussion. It is possible to choose a quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily cadence.
Ask these questions to determine how often you and your team should meet if you are unsure what meeting rhythm or cadence your department should follow. Consider some project management software, ask for your leadership team to provide you with one of them. This can impact for the better for your direct reports. You can use different kinds of apps for meeting notes too and you can help team leaders with providing more detailed insights from your tasks.
By having the answers to these questions, you will get closer to finding the meeting cadence, ensuring maximum productivity for your department. This way, your meetings will not become time-wasting and unproductive. Before deciding which type of cadence suits you best, try them all at least once during your time at a company. Trial and error methods will lead you to understand your personal and your team's approach.
As we mentioned earlier, there are about three types of meeting cadences.
There are two types of daily cadences: Daily check-ins during office hours and daily stand-up. Some small companies gather the whole team from all positions and discuss the day ahead; some divide the leadership into one-on-one and team meetings.
A weekly team meeting is a standard for a lot of use cases. The team usually gets together on Mondays and talks about the week ahead so that everyone is on the same page. Some companies have a one-on-one meeting weekly, which includes the manager or leader discussing work with every team member individually. As well as once a weekly leadership meeting, some companies keep all three sessions.
Every month, team members meet with each other. It's best to keep the meeting at the same time each month by choosing a recurring day of the month and time. For example, you could meet at 11:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of every month. This allows the team to schedule other meetings or responsibilities around this monthly meeting without clashing their schedules.
Choosing the proper meeting cadence doesn't just depend on the meeting's purpose. There is something unique about every team and organization. Consequently, the proper meeting rhythm will depend partly on the needs of leaders, team members, and the organization. How does that affect people setting up recurring meetings? It can involve some trial and error. You can recheck the meeting cadence after a few sessions to see if it's still effective. For example, during their first week on the team, a new team member might require daily check-ins, followed by weekly one-on-ones for a few months, and then monthly one-on-ones once they've become used to their position.
Similarly, managers may have different opinions about how their teams should use their time. A more hands-off leader might prefer monthly or quarterly meetings with their team and trust them to communicate as needed. A manager who likes to be more "in the know" may choose to have team meetings once a month or even twice a week. Considering each of these things is essential to select the ideal meeting rhythm. Consider your preferences and the requirements of your company. Also, get your team's opinion on what makes sense. You can narrow down the optimal meeting cadence the better your feedback.
Which meeting tempo works best for you? It may sound challenging to figure out the ideal meeting cadence for you and your team, but it is not. You'll rapidly understand how a cadence works for you, not the other way around, if you approach the assignment with an open mind to feedback and the option to adjust the right cadence later. A productive meeting cadence can keep employees engaged and boost morale at work. Make the most of this by using meeting tools and other additional tools like anonymous feedback tools; they are very useful if you want feedback from your team about the workflow, cadence scheduling ideas, and more.
This way, your team is set for success.
We know you’ve heard it before, but that doesn’t make it any less true: communication is the cornerstone of leadership and team success. The cadence that you create for your meetings will help to set and reset expectations for your team. Cadences can be fluid, as they respond to individual needs and changes in the business environment. The key is to create a meeting cadence that makes sense and then consistently follow through on it.
For example, if you create a meeting cadence that requires your team to have an agenda, there should be zero room for “guests” or “cross-team questions.” Likewise, if you create a meeting cadence that requires your team to have an agenda, there should be zero room for “guests” or “cross-team questions.” It may seem counterproductive, but it’s important to create a clear framework for your meetings that people can count on.
Creating a sustainable meeting cadence helps keep the focus on the work (rather than the meeting) so your team can get more done under your leadership.
Learn more about better meeting practices with Wrenly.
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