Why leaders need to design them properly
Leaders in advice firms often talk about meetings as though they sit in the way of “real work”.
That mindset is understandable. Advisers generate revenue through client meetings. Leaders are measured on outcomes. Time spent in internal meetings can easily feel like time lost.
But this framing misses something important.
For leaders, internal meetings are not separate from the job.
In many cases, they are the job.
Just as client meetings are central to the economic engine of an advice firm, internal meetings are central to its operating engine. They are where direction is set, decisions are made, risks are surfaced, standards are reinforced and momentum is created.
The problem is not that leaders have meetings.
The problem is that too many internal meetings are poorly designed.
This article is focused on internal meetings - leadership meetings, team meetings, workflow meetings, risk and compliance meetings. Some of these principles apply to client meetings as well, but the focus here is how leaders can use internal meetings properly to run the business.
1. First decision: does this even need to be a meeting?Before improving meetings, leaders should remove the ones that should never have existed.
Many internal meetings could be replaced by:
If no discussion, judgement or decision is required, a meeting is usually the wrong tool.
A simple rule helps:
This step alone often reduces meeting load significantly and creates space for higher value conversations.
2. Design meetings deliberately, not by habitOnce a meeting genuinely needs to exist, it should be designed deliberately.
At a minimum, every internal meeting should have:
Putting the purpose and agenda in the invite matters more than most leaders realise. It allows participants to:
It also gives leaders something to anchor decisions to when conversations start to wander.
A practical test is to ask:
What are we here to work through together that can’t be resolved outside this meeting?
One of the most overlooked benefits of well-designed meetings is their ability to reduce constant interruptions.
In many firms, leaders and Practice Managers are interrupted all day with questions, updates and requests for decisions. Advisers are especially vulnerable to this because they spend large parts of the day in client meetings.
A practical solution is to contain interruptions, not respond to them in real time.
One effective technique is the “Speak to” note system.
Each team member keeps a running note titled “Speak to [Name]”.
As issues arise during the day, instead of interrupting:
If something is genuinely urgent, they request a short, timeboxed slot—say, ten minutes—to work through everything on the list.
This approach:
Good meetings don’t add work.
They replace dozens of fragmented interactions with one focused discussion.
4. Separate reporting from thinking
Internal meetings often lose value because they become reporting sessions.
Time is spent explaining what has already happened, leaving little space for decision-making or problem-solving.
A better approach is to:
Meetings should change something, not just describe it.
5. Be explicit about ownership and outcomes
Meetings that feel heavy often suffer from one flaw: issues are discussed but not owned.
Every meeting should end with clarity on:
Without this, the same issues resurface repeatedly and Practice Managers end up carrying invisible follow-up work.
Ownership should sit with the person who has authority over the outcome, not automatically with the Practice Manager.
6. Use cadence intentionally
Different meetings serve different rhythms.
Trying to solve long-term issues in short-term meetings creates frustration and noise.
When cadence is clear, meetings become predictable and purposeful.
7. Treat 1:1s as a leadership commitmentIf you’re a people leader, your 1:1s are not optional filler in the diary. They are one of the clearest signals you send about what - and who - matters.
If you need to move a 1:1, don’t cancel it. You booked it for a reason, so reschedule it.
The fastest way to tell someone “you’re not important to me” is to repeatedly cancel your 1:1s, even when the intent isn’t there.
If a 1:1 is starting to feel superfluous, that’s usually a signal to check the timing, not the value. A weekly might be better as a fortnightly. A fortnightly might work better monthly. What matters is that the cadence is deliberate and consistent.
Well-run 1:1s:
For leaders, 1:1s are not a courtesy.
They are core leadership infrastructure.
8. Rethink the format, not just the frequency
Not every internal meeting needs to happen seated around a boardroom table.
Some meetings work better as “walk and talks”. They won’t suit every topic, but for check-ins, catchups and early-stage problem-solving, they can be remarkably effective. Movement changes the dynamic, improves focus and often leads to more honest conversation.
Other short, tactical meetings work better as standups.
Staying on your feet keeps the meeting punchy and purposeful. People are less likely to drift, overexplain or get comfortable filling time. This is particularly effective for quick alignment meetings where momentum matters more than discussion.
Daily huddles fall squarely into this category. They are one of the most powerful, quick and most commonly misused meetings in an advice firm. There’s more to say on how to run these well, which I’ll cover separately.
The broader point is this:
If meetings feel heavy, it’s often the format, not the intent, that needs adjusting.
Final thought
Leaders who see meetings as an interruption to their work often feel stretched and reactive.
Leaders who see meetings as a tool of leadership design them deliberately and use them to create clarity, momentum and fewer surprises.
The goal is not fewer meetings.
The goal is better meetings that do the work of leadership properly.
When internal meetings are designed well, they stop getting in the way of the job - and start doing it.
If you’re wanting more help to get your team in alignment and your engine room humming, speak with one of our consultants today.