T7. Hold Meetings for Impact toolkit
Toolkit
Effective leaders treat meetings as a strategic tool rather than a routine obligation. They know that the right conversation, held with purpose and focus, can build trust, clarify thinking, and accelerate progress. Meetings that lack structure or purpose drain time and morale, while well-designed ones create clarity and momentum. This toolkit helps you plan meetings that matter, ensuring every discussion earns its time and strengthens your team’s culture.
| Clarify the purpose |
| Begin by defining the purpose of the meeting and what must be achieved by the end of it. A clear purpose prevents drift and helps you decide who needs to attend. Write this as a short statement you can share at the start of the meeting. |
| Identify the meeting type |
| Decide whether this is a check-in, tactical, strategic, or developmental meeting. Short, frequent meetings build rhythm and responsiveness, while longer, less frequent sessions allow for depth and reflection. Choosing the right format avoids overlap and meeting fatigue. |
| Shape the agenda |
| Outline no more than three key discussion points. Allocate time to each section and include the person leading it. Leave space for challenge, reflection, and decision-making. A good agenda focuses on outcomes rather than updates. |
| Protect 1:1 conversations |
| If the meeting is individual, co-create the agenda. Include both progress and well-being check-ins. Protect these meetings in your calendar; cancelling sends an unintended message about priorities. Regular, purposeful 1:1s build trust and reveal insight you won’t hear elsewhere. |
| Be fully present |
| Decide how you’ll show that attention matters. Put devices away, make eye contact, and listen without interruption. Your presence sets the tone for the team and signals respect for their time. |
| Record actions and owners |
| End every meeting with a visible summary of what was agreed: key actions, owners, and deadlines. Confirm these in writing if necessary. Review previous actions at the start of the next meeting to reinforce accountability. |
| Review and refine |
| After the meeting, take a minute to reflect. What worked well? What could be streamlined next time? If a meeting no longer serves its purpose, change the structure or frequency rather than letting it drift. |
| Reflection prompts |
| Are all my meetings clearly purposeful and outcome-driven, or do some exist by habit? Do I spend too long in meetings that could be handled through shorter updates? Am I modelling the level of presence and attention I expect from others? Which recurring meeting delivers the greatest impact, and what makes it work? |
T7. Hold Meetings for Impact: example toolkit
Role: Assistant Headteacher
| Clarify the purpose |
| I will write a clear purpose at the top of every agenda and state it at the start so success by the end is unambiguous. |
| Identify the meeting type |
| I will use a rhythm of short tactical check-ins, longer strategic sessions, and regular one-to-ones, avoiding duplication and fatigue. |
| Shape the agenda |
| I will limit to three items with time allocations and named leads, and ensure each item ends with a decision or next step. |
| Protect 1:1 conversations |
| I will co-create agendas, keep a balance of progress and wellbeing, and reschedule rather than cancel so trust builds. |
| Be fully present |
| I will close the laptop, put the phone aside, and use reflective listening to model attention and reduce distractions. |
| Record actions and owners |
| I will capture actions, owners, and dates on a shared sheet and review last week’s actions first at the next meeting. |
| Review and refine |
| I will spend two minutes after each meeting improving structure, invitees, or frequency, and I will redesign meetings that no longer serve their purpose. |
| Intended Impact |
| We will spend less time in meetings and achieve more. The rhythm will feel focused and energising, and every conversation will earn its place. |