Why Regular Team Meetings Are Essential (no matter your industry)

Team meetings: they’re often joked about, sometimes cancelled, and occasionally dreaded. But when done right, they’re one of the most powerful tools a business or organisation has within its internal comms strategy. Whether you're in healthcare, tech, manufacturing, education, retail, or any other sector, regular team meetings play a critical role in keeping the wheels turning smoothly.

Why Team Meetings Matter

1. They create clarity and alignment

A team that meets regularly stays aligned. Meetings help keep everyone on the same page about goals, priorities, and deadlines. They’re the perfect opportunity to ensure everyone is pulling (and heading) in the same direction.

2. They foster communication and collaboration

Team meetings give employees a space to ask questions, share insights, and flag roadblocks. They can also spark collaboration that might not happen in emails or chats.

3. They boost morale and connection

Especially in hybrid or remote environments, regular check-ins help combat isolation. Whether our teams share a building, are spread globally, something in-between or a combination of the above, these gatherings build a sense of team identity and shared purpose.

4. They encourage accountability

When people know they’ll report progress or share updates in a meeting, they tend to stay more focused and on track. Meetings help make priorities visible and keep momentum going.

What Happens If You Don’t Hold Team Meetings

Skipping team meetings may save time in the short term, but it usually leads to bigger problems down the line:

• Miscommunication and confusion – Tasks get duplicated, deadlines get missed, and team members make incorrect assumptions.

• Lower engagement – Employees start to feel disconnected or undervalued when they’re not kept in the loop.

• Siloed teams – Without regular communication, departments and individuals may drift into working in isolation.

• Decreased productivity – Without clarity or alignment, productivity takes a hit, even if everyone is working hard.

In short, no matter how efficient your tools or systems are, a lack of consistent communication can slowly erode your culture and performance.

Tips for Running Effective Team Meetings

Now that we’ve established why they’re crucial, let’s talk about how to make meetings actually work — and not just max-out calendars (and levels of frustration).

1. Have a purpose

Before scheduling, ask: “What’s the goal of this meeting?” Is it to share updates, brainstorm solutions, or make decisions? Make sure the purpose is clear to everyone attending.

2. Create (and share) an agenda

A simple agenda keeps the meeting focused and efficient. Share it ahead of time so people know what to expect, why they are attending, and so they can prepare.

3. Keep it concise

Time is valuable. Aim for shorter, focused meetings rather than long-winded marathons. Start and end on time to show respect for everyone’s schedule.

4. Involve the team

Encourage participation. Ask questions. Rotate who leads or presents. The more inclusive the meeting, the more engaged the team will be.

5. Follow up

Always close with clear takeaways: who’s doing what, and by when? Then send a quick follow-up so nothing falls through the cracks.

And what about those hard-to-reach colleagues?

Back in January, Forbes released its list of top internal communication trends, and high on the list was a much-needed shift in focus: “Making Frontline Employees a Priority.” It’s a timely reminder that for too long, team meetings (and internal comms as a whole) have catered primarily to office-based workers, leaving those on the front lines in the dark.

We know that reaching deskless employees isn’t always easy. Whether they’re on the shop floor, working in the field, on construction sites, in retail, or running logistics, they’re not sitting in an office or in front of a screen all day. But these are the very people who make our businesses run. They’re the ones building, moving, serving, caring, and representing your brand to the outside world.

And they’re the majority. In fact, a 2023 report by Quinyx estimated that around 80% of the global workforce is deskless.

Usually, we rely on cascaded comms to reach these vital colleagues. But there are many risks associated with relying on cascaded comms. One is that key information doesn’t arrive quite as it should. And another is that it doesn’t arrive at all!

The risk of overlooking deskless teams

Failing to engage your frontline workforce isn’t just a missed opportunity — it’s a business risk. When communication doesn’t reach everyone equally:

• Morale drops among those who feel excluded or uninformed.

• Inconsistencies arise in how information is shared and acted on.

• Important updates get lost, diluted, or misrepresented.

• Trust erodes, especially when decisions are made without explanation.

Bringing the meeting to the frontline

Traditional pre-shift briefings and team huddles still have their place, and they can be incredibly effective when led well. But it’s essential to make sure those leading these sessions are trained, informed, and confident. Don’t just assume they’re happening — check in. Observe. Talk to your deskless teams. Use gemba walks or spot-checks to understand the reality on the ground.

A platform like Touchpoint makes it possible to deliver meetings and messages in a consistent, video-first format. That means:

• Messages come directly from leaders — no watering down, filtering through (un)conscious bias, or misinterpretation.

• You can include visuals, charts, and graphics to boost clarity and engagement.

• Built-in feedback and tracking shows who has seen and delivered the content, and who hasn’t.

No more guessing. No more hoping a message “makes it down the line.” Just clear, trackable, and inclusive communication that puts every employee, deskless or otherwise, on equal footing.

But don’t take our word for it. We rolled Touchpoint out for a large GSK manufacturing site, and here’s what their comms lead had to say about it.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-run team meeting. But regular, thoughtful communication isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the glue that keeps a team connected, productive, and aligned toward a common goal. Whether you're running a small business, leading a nonprofit, or managing a department in a large corporation, investing in effective team meetings is investing in the long-term health of your organisation.

If you’re not sure that your internal comms strategy is up to scratch (whether for business-as-usual comms, an important change comms strategy, or your current digital comms package), an internal comms agency can really help. From health-checking your current offering to coming up with a brand-new strategy, the benefits can be immense!