A comprehensive guide to executive meetings: Purpose, agendas, and best practices

Nowadays, our calendars are overflowing with more meetings than ever. In fact, studies show employees attend an average of 62 per month, and the U.S. alone hosts over 1 billion annually. 

Executive team meetings differ from regular meetings. Despite busy calendars, all top execs have to attend executive session board meetings to discuss pressing matters and define the organizational course. 

This article dives into the nature of exec team meetings. We’ll explore what makes them so important, the goals they aim to achieve, and how they contribute to a board’s effectiveness. On top of that, we provide an executive meeting agenda example in the form of a free and customizable template.

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What is an executive meeting?

An executive team meeting differs significantly from the company-wide weekly meeting you might be familiar with. It’s a safe place to bring together the C-suite and other key leadership teams for confidential and strategic discussion. 

Ultimately, the purpose of executive meetings varies depending on the organization’s unique mission, culture, and overall strategy.  

There are three key characteristics of leadership team meetings:

1. High level of confidentiality. Sensitive topics and strategic plans are the focus, requiring a private setting. Though minutes may be recorded, their circulation is typically restricted. Other than that, the executive committee meeting agenda should also be established.
2. Tailored attendance. Depending on the topics at hand, the list of meeting attendees may vary. Sometimes only board members are present, while other times, key members of the executive team are invited to bring extra expertise.
3. Initiate changes. The goal here is to turn strategic discussions into strategic decisions. So it’s safe to say that a leadership meeting is not the exact time for brainstorming, it’s time to act.

Note: Learn more about executive communications in our dedicated article.

Executive board meetings vs. executive committee meetings

Not all leadership meetings share similar goals but require different preparations. While both the executive board and executive committee shape a company’s direction, their focuses differ.  

Executive board meetings delve into high-level strategy, mission, and long-term vision, bringing together key figures like board members, C-suite executives, and vice presidents. Far from daily operational check-ins, the effective executive meeting is the space for charting the company’s long-term course.

On the other hand, dealing with day-to-day issues requires a smaller, more agile team. For this, the executive committee typically comprises top leaders like the CEO, CFO, and department heads. 

The main task of this committee is to handle the specifics of running the company and consensus building, deal with urgent matters, and make key decisions following the board’s guidelines. Essentially, they’re in charge of daily operations.

Let’s explore the key differences between these two in the table below:

How to run executive meetings: Preparations and best practices

The modern executive’s calendar is full, and meetings take up a large amount of their time. Senior managers now dedicate 23 hours per week to them — a significant rise from past decades. But how do you make sure the meeting is not just another waste of time? Let’s discover this in the section below.

Before the meeting

When you bring together the busiest people in one room, you must make sure you do everything to prepare for this meeting. Before stepping into the preparation stage, ask these questions yourself:

• What is the purpose of this meeting?
• What decisions need to be made?
• What information must be shared?

If this meeting is relevant for top execs, choose a meeting date and time that works for everyone, minimizing disruption and confirming consistent participation. As Edith Harbaugh, Co-founder and CEO of LaunchDarkly, points out, a consistent schedule allows for better preparation and avoids last-minute scrambling.

Then, having an agenda for the executive meeting on the table is one of the most important things you can do to avoid surprises during the meeting. Sharing agenda items beforehand keeps everyone on the same page so they can come to the next executive meeting ready to talk about specifics. Try to keep a consistent format for all agendas, including sections for notes and action items.

During the meeting

Ask yourself what you (and everyone in the room) can do to make the most of this meeting. Start each meeting with check-ins to get everyone focused and connected. This gives a chance for participants to share any pressing concerns or updates, clearing their minds for the discussions ahead. 

Next, provide a safe space that allows for constructive debate. The thing is, healthy back-and-forth discussions lead to diversity in ideas and, as a result, to more productive meetings. When everyone feels comfortable respectfully disagreeing, it gets easier to work on problem-solving.

Most importantly, manage your valuable time wisely. Here, the best thing you can do as a moderator is to allocate clear timetables for each agenda item and stick to the schedule as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to politely redirect discussions that lose focus on getting the most out of the limited meeting time available.

After the meeting

To make sure all the good ideas turn into real results, it’s important to follow up well. We prepared some tips below. 

First of all, before the doors close, make sure everyone knows exactly what they’re accountable for. Additionally, delegate those action items with clear deadlines. 

That’s why you need clear, concise minutes and meeting notes. Assign someone (preferably someone who isn’t presenting anything) to capture the final decisions, who’s responsible for what, and the next steps. Then get those minutes out to everyone as soon as possible. 

A one-and-done team meeting might not cover some complex team decision-making. Schedule a follow-up discussion to handle any pending questions. This shows everyone you’re serious about making this work.

Best practices and tips for the best meetings

Meetings are an important part of cooperation, but like with any process, there is always room for improvement. Here are some ideas to take your executive meetings from good to excellent.

1. Sharpen your attention. Sure, evaluating KPIs is important, but don’t focus solely on it. Instead of just looking at the numbers, dig into the reasons behind them. Be curious!
2. Let everyone speak. Make everyone comfortable with sharing their honest thoughts, even if they disagree with the current plan. After all, we believe there are no bad ideas, just ideas “not yet” fully formed. So the goal here isn’t to find someone to blame, but to come up with the absolute best solutions.  
3. Prepare your guests. For complex topics, try a silent reading session at the start of the meeting. Give everyone a clear, concise document beforehand to review on their own. 

Breakdown of an executive meeting agenda

According to a recent Deloitte Board Practices report, in 2022, 24% of board members specifically adjusted their agendas to allow more time for strategic discussions. It means that more and more executive teams are realizing that a successful meeting requires focus and planning.

The details in your agenda might change a bit depending on the meeting type:

1. Executive board meeting agenda. Here, the primary focus is on the general strategic vision, financial performance, or let’s say, long-term goals. For example, it may include CEO updates, extensive financial reports, risk assessments, and potential governance concerns requiring board-level oversight.
2. Executive committee meeting agenda. This level goes into operational specifics and tactical execution of plans. Your agenda may include department updates, direct reports, project progress reports, resource allocation plans, and any immediate obstacles that need leadership intervention.

However, despite what meeting you’re planning, the typical executive board meeting agenda includes the fundamental components:

• Clear top objectives. Define the specific outcomes you aim to achieve by the meeting’s conclusion. Is the goal to arrive at a decision, discuss strategy, or receive departmental updates?
• Discussion topics. List the exact items and key questions you’ll be talking about, with the most important things first. 
• Time management. Give each topic a realistic amount of time to avoid getting bogged down in details.
• Action items. Set clear and actionable steps for each discussion point. Who will be responsible for what tasks moving forward?

To help speed up the prep for your next executive meeting, we’ve created a free and customizable template for executive committee agendas. It provides the best structure for your future meetings so you can save time and get straight to the important decisions.

Download it today to improve the efficiency and impact of your executive committee meetings.

Key takeaways

1. Executive meetings are confidential strategic discussions for top leaders. They differ from regular meetings in terms of focus, attendance, and outcome.
2. Effective executive meetings require preparation. This includes setting a clear purpose and creating an agenda.
3. Executive meetings depend on healthy debate for the best decision-making process and final decision possible.
4. Respect everyone’s valuable time by sticking to a schedule. Allocate realistic time slots for each agenda item and keep discussions focused to maximize productivity.
5. Assign clear action items with deadlines after each meeting, and share concise minutes with everyone.