The Complete Guide to
Meeting Policies

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Personal meeting caps

​Facebook has something called “Personal meeting caps” that limits the amount of hours each employee can be in meetings per week. Our recommendation is to define a range for each role and department rather than allowing employees to set their own limits. Another alternative is to define a range for employees to choose within where the range is set by the department and role and the selection within the range is done by the employee. 

Expected impact: Talent retention, Capacity increase

Exceptions: Self meetings, external meetings, happy hour events, Mandatory training

How does it work: This requires a real time system to monitor the weekly load for each employee and warn organizers when they are about to send a meeting that will put the employee over the limit. In addition, for employees that are already over their limit, notifies organizers who may not need that employee in their meeting

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Preparation Rules

1. Meetings Must Have a Clear Agenda

2. Assign Roles Before the Meeting (Facilitator, Note-Taker, Timekeeper)

3. Circulate Pre-Reads in Advance

4. Define the Meeting’s Objective Clearly

5. Invite Only Relevant Participants

6. Prepare Technology Beforehand

7. Avoid Scheduling Back-to-Back Meetings

8. Identify Decision-Making Frameworks in Advance

9. Specify Required Pre-Meeting Actions

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Recurring Meetings

1. Set fixed duration

2. Minimize dailys

3. Revisit often

4. Avoid participant creep

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Meeting Size & Duration

1. Arrive early or at least on time

2. Mute Devices to Avoid Distractions

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Participation Rules

1. Arrive early or at least on time

2. Mute Devices to Avoid Distractions

3. Speak Concisely and Stay on Topic

4. Ask Clarifying Questions Respectfully

5. Address Conflict Constructively

6. Stay Present (No Multitasking)

7. Camera on

8. Stay put

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Execution Rules

1. Start with a Brief Review of the Agenda

2. Assign Action Items and Owners During the Meeting

3. Park topics that were discovered during the meeting

4. Capture Meeting Minutes and Decisions Clearly

5. Summarize Outcomes Before Ending

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Follow-Up Rules

1. Distribute Meeting Notes Immediately After

2. Track Action Items and Deadlines

3. Schedule Follow-Ups Only if Necessary

4. Provide Feedback on Meeting Effectiveness

5. Record Attendance for Accountability

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Cultural Norms and Etiquette

1. Manager speaks last

2. Avoid Using Jargon or Acronyms Without Explanation

3. Use Inclusive Language

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Technology Rules​

1. Have the conference link in the meeting invitation

2. Ensure Stable Internet Connection for Virtual Meetings

3. Share Screens Only When Necessary

4. Camera on

5. Professional attire

6. Professional background

7. Record Meetings

8. Avoid hybrid meetings

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Scheduling Rules

1. Avoid Scheduling During Lunch Hours or After Work

2. Be aware of the bottleneck hours

3. Limit Meeting Length to a Maximum of 60 Minutes

4. Personal meeting caps

5. Avoid Holding Meetings on Designated “No Meeting” Days

6. Respect Time Zones for Global Teams

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Decision-Making Rules

1. Define Decision-Makers at the Start

2. Use Voting or Consensus-Building Techniques

3. Document Decisions Clearly

4. Align All Decisions with Pre-Set Objectives

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Review Meeting Rules

1. Include​ materials

2. Minimize forum

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Retro Meetings

1. Include​ materials

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Daily Meetings

1. Include​ materials

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Feedback and Improvement Rules

1. Solicit Feedback on Meeting Processes Regularly

2. Analyze Meeting Metrics (Attendance, Engagement, Time Spent)

3. Experiment with Different Meeting Formats

4. Review Outcomes to Ensure Meetings Add Value

This comprehensive collection of rules can be tailored or combined into a single policy document depending on your needs!