episode 276 | Feb 20, 2026 | 89min

Designing Good Meetings

In this week’s conversation with Rebecca Hinds we unpack why so many meetings drain energy instead of generating clarity and momentum, exploring the rhythm and timing of effective gatherings, meeting triage and the “Four D” test, and how effective brainstorming actually works. We dive into designing and optimising meetings (and asynchronous communication), the foundations of healthy meeting culture, how AI is reshaping collaboration, and how to hold space for truly emergent conversations.
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In this podcast we talk about:

03:45 Why meetings suck
10:55 Rhythm and timing of meetings
17:30 Building in meeting triage
25:30 The “Four D” test of good meetings
35:15 How brainstorming actually works
40:30 Designing great meetings
50:00 Optimising meetings for attendees
56:30 Optimising asynchronous communication
1:05:00 Foundations for healthy meetings
1:09:50 How AI is shaping meetings
1:16:30 Holding space for emergent meetings

Resources Mentioned:
Your best meeting ever, by Rebecca HindsWorklytics
Loom
Glean
Asana
Steven Rogelberg

About the Guest

Rebecca Hinds

Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work, holding a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. She founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, pioneering corporate think tanks focused on the future of work. Her research has been featured in top-tier publications including Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes, and she speaks globally at events like Dreamforce, SXSW, and the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit. Rebecca is a trusted advisor and educator, appearing on podcasts, webinars, and programs such as Adam Grant’s WorkLife and CNBC’s Make It Masterclass, helping organizations navigate hybrid work, AI adoption, and organizational change.

WEBSITE
https://www.rebeccahinds.com

About the Host

Joel Monk

Joel Monk is a leadership coach, educator and entrepreneur. He co-founded Coaches Rising, a company on the cutting edge of online coach training with a community of over 65,000 coaches. Coaches Rising programs regularly include participants from every continent on the planet and they have collaborated with some of the leading minds in the field of human development and coaching. Joel is also a leadership coach, coaching at companies such as THNK, Booking.com, Siemens and Naspers. Joel has designed and led several entrepreneurial and leadership development programs, at places such as Socionext, THNK and The Impact Hub Amsterdam.

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