No amount of meeting hacks can fix a workplace culture that lacks intention and care for its people. When we focus on the latest meeting hack or tweaks to meeting structure (icebreakers, anyone?), we overlook the core issue. Think about it: Have you ever had a bad meeting that was just about meeting format or when the agenda was sent out? Likely something deeper was at play. Let’s stop blaming meetings and start reflecting on the values that create these soul-sucking gatherings.

In my 15 years in government, I’ve attended and led countless meetings—including the absurdist meetings to plan future meetings. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I’ve come to realize that meetings are, as organizational expert Priya Parker puts it, “culture carriers.” They’re not just about dividing up tasks; if you care about workplace culture, you need to care about meetings.

There’s no shortage of books on how to run effective meetings—Death by Meeting and The Surprising Science of Meetings come to mind. And, yes, I recognize the thick irony in offering salvation from bad meetings myself. But here’s what most advice misses: Techniques can’t fix cultural problems. Making space for input or revamping agendas mean nothing if leaders don’t genuinely care about the people in the room. A meeting that ends on time but leaves people feeling unheard is still a bad meeting.

There are no simple ways to improve meetings.

In her book The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker emphasizes that successful meetings are driven by intention, not by polished techniques. It all starts with defining........

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