Don't Come to My Meeting

As CEO, I've created an unusual meeting policy at my company. It helps build a culture of respect, agency-and substantial productivity, too.

- By Sarah Kellogg Neff

At the company I lead, anyone can opt out of any meeting, at any time, for any reason-even if it's with me. Zero judgment. Zero repercussions.

The way I see it, meetings are more than just gatherings of people; they are structures to build healthy respect for people's time and talents. I want those ideals to be core to my company.

Also, let's face it: Most meetings suck.

As they're currently conducted, meetings trigger a forceful undercurrent related to our worth. How and when meetings are requested, accepted, or run (and by whom) have an outsized impact on our sense of value.

When did meetings become so fraught with subtext? And more urgently: Does it have to be this way? The answer is an unequivocal no. Let's unpack.