Fix or Kill Dreaded Rituals
If people dread your team ritual, fix the format or kill the meeting. Don't force attendance to something that isn't working.
Fix or Kill Dreaded Rituals
The insight: If people dread your team ritual, that's a signal something structural is wrong. Fix the format or kill the meeting. Don't force attendance to something that isn't working.
Why this matters: Dreaded meetings are worse than no meetings. They drain energy, create resentment, and condition people to tune out.
How to diagnose:
- •Ask: "If we canceled this meeting forever, what would we lose?"
- •Watch body language—are people engaged or checked out?
- •Notice patterns—are the same people always silent?
Options when a meeting isn't working:
- •Change the format (add games, change facilitator, try async first)
- •Change the frequency (maybe monthly instead of weekly)
- •Change the participants (maybe too many/few people)
- •Kill it entirely and see what happens
The courage required: Admitting something isn't working and changing it, even if it was your idea.