Designing Meetings That Actually Get Work Done with Rebecca Hinds
Tue Feb 03 2026
Are your meetings indistinguishable from 1940s wartime sabotage tactics? You're not alone. In this episode, Rebecca Hinds, author of Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done, reveals why corporate meetings have become the single most dysfunctional practice in modern organizations—and how to fix them.
Brandon and Rebecca explore a radical idea: what if we treated meetings like products, applying the same design principles that make great products great? From "meeting doomsday" (a complete calendar reset) to Amazon's study hall approach, Rebecca shares actionable strategies that organizations like Slack, Dropbox, and Shopify have used to declare war on meeting bloat.
You'll discover why double-booking has become a toxic badge of honor, how the visibility bias makes us associate presence with productivity, and why crowdsourcing your agenda using the "Dory method" can transform boring monologues into engaging collaboration. Rebecca also tackles the AI paradox—why more meeting bots might be making your meetings worse, not better—and shares the "iron rule" that every leader needs to embrace.
If you've ever walked out of a meeting wondering what you just accomplished (or why you were even there), this episode is your blueprint for change. Don't miss Rebecca's insights on why meetings are the most important—and least optimized—product in your organization.
KEY TIMESTAMPS 00:01 - Introduction and welcome to Rebecca Hinds
00:08 - Brandon introduces Rebecca's book Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done
00:24 - Rebecca explains why meetings are the most important yet least optimized product in organizations
00:58 - The fascinating 1943 OSS sabotage manual story: how wartime meeting sabotage tactics mirror modern corporate meetings
01:33 - Why we use meetings as a "lazy substitute for smart thinking and real work"
03:24 - The toxic "badge of honor" culture: why busyness in meetings signals importance but kills productivity
04:08 - What does it mean to treat meetings like a product? Introduction to the seven product design principles
04:18 - Meeting debt explained: How meetings accumulate technical debt just like software products
05:57 - Meeting Doomsday: The 48-hour calendar cleanse and complete reset strategy
06:13 - Case studies: How Slack, Dropbox, and Shopify implemented organization-wide calendar purges
08:05 - The IKEA effect: Why employee involvement in rebuilding calendars creates lasting change
26:15 - Amazon's study hall approach: How six-page memos and silent reading time revolutionize high-stakes meetings
27:19 - Fighting boring meetings: The Dory method for crowdsourcing agendas
27:37 - User-centric meeting design: Why the organizer and biggest talker are the most satisfied (and why that's a problem)
29:28 - The automation paradox: Why AI and meeting bots might be making bad meetings worse
29:57 - Calm technology: The right way to integrate AI into meetings without letting bots outnumber humans
32:12 - The iron rule of meetings: Treating attendees' time as more valuable than your own
33:39 - Where to find Rebecca's book and connect with her work
34:09 - Closing and final thoughts
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR
Host: Brandon Laws
In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders."
About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more
Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn | Instagram | About
Connect with Xenium HR: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
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Are your meetings indistinguishable from 1940s wartime sabotage tactics? You're not alone. In this episode, Rebecca Hinds, author of Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done, reveals why corporate meetings have become the single most dysfunctional practice in modern organizations—and how to fix them. Brandon and Rebecca explore a radical idea: what if we treated meetings like products, applying the same design principles that make great products great? From "meeting doomsday" (a complete calendar reset) to Amazon's study hall approach, Rebecca shares actionable strategies that organizations like Slack, Dropbox, and Shopify have used to declare war on meeting bloat. You'll discover why double-booking has become a toxic badge of honor, how the visibility bias makes us associate presence with productivity, and why crowdsourcing your agenda using the "Dory method" can transform boring monologues into engaging collaboration. Rebecca also tackles the AI paradox—why more meeting bots might be making your meetings worse, not better—and shares the "iron rule" that every leader needs to embrace. If you've ever walked out of a meeting wondering what you just accomplished (or why you were even there), this episode is your blueprint for change. Don't miss Rebecca's insights on why meetings are the most important—and least optimized—product in your organization. KEY TIMESTAMPS 00:01 - Introduction and welcome to Rebecca Hinds 00:08 - Brandon introduces Rebecca's book Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done 00:24 - Rebecca explains why meetings are the most important yet least optimized product in organizations 00:58 - The fascinating 1943 OSS sabotage manual story: how wartime meeting sabotage tactics mirror modern corporate meetings 01:33 - Why we use meetings as a "lazy substitute for smart thinking and real work" 03:24 - The toxic "badge of honor" culture: why busyness in meetings signals importance but kills productivity 04:08 - What does it mean to treat meetings like a product? Introduction to the seven product design principles 04:18 - Meeting debt explained: How meetings accumulate technical debt just like software products 05:57 - Meeting Doomsday: The 48-hour calendar cleanse and complete reset strategy 06:13 - Case studies: How Slack, Dropbox, and Shopify implemented organization-wide calendar purges 08:05 - The IKEA effect: Why employee involvement in rebuilding calendars creates lasting change 26:15 - Amazon's study hall approach: How six-page memos and silent reading time revolutionize high-stakes meetings 27:19 - Fighting boring meetings: The Dory method for crowdsourcing agendas 27:37 - User-centric meeting design: Why the organizer and biggest talker are the most satisfied (and why that's a problem) 29:28 - The automation paradox: Why AI and meeting bots might be making bad meetings worse 29:57 - Calm technology: The right way to integrate AI into meetings without letting bots outnumber humans 32:12 - The iron rule of meetings: Treating attendees' time as more valuable than your own 33:39 - Where to find Rebecca's book and connect with her work 34:09 - Closing and final thoughts A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders." About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn | Instagram | About Connect with Xenium HR: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube