Same characters, same punchlines, same sense of regret at the end. We show up, shuffle papers (or mute ourselves on Zoom), and wonder why we even bothered.
Ok, maybe not all meetings, all the time, but most of them are. But meetings don’t have to be this way. In fact, they could be the exact opposite. Throughout human history, whenever people needed to align, to decide, or to connect, they created rituals. Rituals gave structure, meaning, and, most importantly, a sense of shared humanity.
Now imagine if meetings were treated less like calendar obligations and more like modern rituals. What if every gathering was not just about the agenda, but about reinforcing connection, marking progress, and creating a shared sense of purpose?
That is the case I want to make. Meetings, at their best, are not logistical chores, they are opportunities to transform. And if that sounds a little left field, good. It is time we shook off the sitcom script and tried something different.
Why meetings need ritual
Most meetings are not memorable. You can walk out of one and forget it instantly, as though it never happened. If you are lucky, there are some action points. If you are less lucky, you have lost an hour (if not more) of your life you will never get back.
Rituals, on the other hand, are sticky. They leave an imprint. Think of a graduation ceremony, a wedding, or a team huddle before a big match. These moments matter because they are designed to remind us of who we are, what we are doing, and why we are here together.
They elevate the ordinary into something worth remembering. That is the key difference: rituals acknowledge meaning; meetings tend to ignore it.
When leaders view meetings as rituals, they stop being time-fillers and start becoming containers of significance. You do not just tick off a list. You create an experience that reinforces culture, trust, and belonging.
We have made meetings too transactional
In many organisations, the major part of the problem is that meetings have been treated as pure logistics: a way to coordinate calendars, allocate tasks, and cover updates. Efficient, perhaps, but soulless.
How many times have you thought: Why couldn’t I have just gotten an email with this information? Or Why am I being asked this again when it’s all in [insert corporate’s favourite data repository system here]?
Technology was supposed to make meetings lighter and sharper. Instead, it has amplified the transactional mindset: screens, mute buttons, cameras off, the illusion of multitasking. What was already mediocre in person became excruciating on Zoom or Teams.
But here is what we are all beginning to realise: the more our work shifts online, the more we need the opposite of transactional. We do not just need to meet; we need to gather.
Gathering is different from meeting. A meeting ticks off an agenda. A gathering acknowledges the people in the room and the energy between them.
Rituals help people belong
This is not fluffy stuff. It is psychological. Rituals act as markers. They tell people:
- You are part of something bigger.
- Your presence matters.
- We are building this together.
Think about how sports teams always have a pre-game ritual: the huddle, the chant, the handshakes. It is not about logistics. It is about belonging. It is about showing up with a shared identity.
Now compare that to the average team meeting: everyone trickling in late, half-listening, typing in the background. One signals belonging; the other signals indifference.
The myth of control
And to be clear. Talking about rituals in meetings is not code for “leaders should force everyone into awkward icebreakers” or “we need to choreograph our gatherings like theatre.”
That is control, not ritual.
Ritual is only powerful if it is respectful and inclusive. It is about invitation, not imposition.
You cannot manufacture authenticity. People can smell fake enthusiasm from a mile away.
The leader’s job is not to dictate how people connect; it is to create the conditions where connection feels natural. That is the real skill.
Meetings as modern fire circles
For most of human history, people gathered around fires. Fires were where we planned hunts, told stories, resolved conflicts, and celebrated milestones. The fire circle was both practical and symbolic. It created warmth, safety, and focus.
In many ways, today’s meeting is the workplace fire circle. But too often, we have let the fire die out. All that is left is cold ash and an Outlook invite.
The question leaders should ask is: how do I bring the fire back?
That does not mean chanting or burning sage in the boardroom (although you do you). It does mean designing meetings to create focus, warmth, and shared purpose. It means asking:
- What is the meaning of this meeting?
- What will people walk away remembering?
- How will they feel about being part of this?
When online, ritual matters even more
The less we meet in person, the more important it becomes to ritualise the moments we do gather, whether online or offline.
Online, it is easy to lose each other. The body language is flatter. The energy is muted. Distraction is one tab away.
This is where leaders can make small but powerful adjustments:
- Open with intention. Instead of diving into the agenda, start by acknowledging the moment. Even one sentence: “This meeting marks the halfway point of our project. Let’s pause for a second to recognise what we’ve done so far.”
- Create shared cues. Simple practices like starting with everyone on camera for a hello, or using a consistent check-in question, create rhythm and familiarity.
- Mark endings. Don’t just say, “That’s it, thanks.” Rituals always end with a marker, something that signals closure. A quick recap of wins, an appreciation, or even a collective sign-off phrase.
If you do nothing else differently after reading this, try this: end your next meeting with a marker of meaning, not a limp “thanks everyone.” You will feel the difference straight away.
These are not gimmicks. They are modern adaptations of something deeply human: we need beginnings, middles, and ends that feel intentional.
Why IRL still matters
As much as I advocate for designing online meetings with ritual, there is no substitute for real life. The body notices what the screen cannot transmit: the micro-expressions, the energy in the room, the subtle signals of trust and belonging. I am convinced that oxytocin, your feel-good “connecting hormone,” gets exchanged in face-to-face meetings (my theory!).
IRL gatherings are valuable. But they should be meaningful, not mandated. Flying everyone in for yet another quarterly “alignment session” that feels like a forced group hug does not cut it.
If you are going to bring people together in person (nice work), make it count. Make it feel like an event, not a burden. Give it the weight of ritual: a chance to reset, reconnect, and remember why the team exists at all.
From chore to catalyst
Most people dread meetings. They see them as chores. But imagine if meetings were catalysts, sparks that accelerated energy, sharpened focus, and strengthened bonds.
That does not happen by accident. It happens when leaders stop treating meetings as boxes to tick and start treating them as rituals to design.
It means asking different questions:
- Not “What’s on the agenda?” but “What’s the meaning of this gathering?”
- Not “Who needs to attend?” but “Who needs to feel included?”
- Not “How long should this run?” but “What’s the rhythm that will keep this alive?” (Translation: if the meeting was scheduled for 1 hour and you finished in 30 minutes, then finish it! Please Do NOT extend it to fill the time.)
A different script
Remember the sitcom analogy? Well, a sitcom runs on predictability. The same beats, week after week. That is fine for TV, but disastrous for culture and engagement.
Leaders have the choice: keep running the same stale script, or write a new one. One that treats meetings as living rituals, moments that matter, not just minutes to endure.
And maybe, just maybe, the next time your team logs off or walks out of a room, they won’t feel regret. They will feel a connection. They will feel progress. They will feel part of something bigger.
That is what ritual does. It transforms the mundane into the meaningful.
Closing this out
This is not about making every meeting profound (we do have to be practical, and I have been where you are!). But it is about shifting perspective.
If we become just a little more intentional about meetings, we might stop seeing them as logistical checkpoints and start seeing them as opportunities to strengthen the human fabric of work.
Treat them like sitcoms, and they will stay flat, predictable, and boring. Treat them like rituals, and they will become markers of belonging, trust, and progress.
At the end of the day, you choose the script. And honestly, don’t we all deserve better than another rerun?
And as always, if you invest in yourself, the rewards will be unfathomable.
Until next time.
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