Ep 18: The Meeting About the Meeting About the Meeting

The Messy Middle Matters

We've all been there—staring at a calendar invite with a cryptic title and no context, then spending the meeting trying to figure out why you're even there. In this episode, Indra and Amanda tackle the all-too-familiar plague of purposeless meetings.

From weekly leadership check-ins to post-meeting debriefs about the next meeting, they unpack the hidden cost of unclear gatherings: time, energy, morale, and productivity. They also offer practical tips for spotting meetings that should never happen—and tools to make the ones that do more effective and engaging.

Whether you love a good working session or loathe yet another calendar clog, this one's for you. Let’s stop gathering without a goal.
Useful Links:

• Meeting Design (book): https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/meeting-design/
• Fixable Episode featuring Priya Parker from May 12, 2025 (podcast episode): https://podcasts.apple.com/zw/podcast/how-to-fix-meetings-w-master-fixer-priya-parker/id1677016372?i=1000708057390
• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering
• Lean Coffee (a methodology for meetings that do not have a structure): https://agilecoffee.com/leancoffee/
• The Messy Middle Matters Merch: shop.themessymiddlematters.com
• The Messy Middle Matters Glossary: http://bit.ly/448qQxm
• Feedback for The Messy Middle Matters: http://bit.ly/3ZVuFn7