Are You Still Calling for a Meeting Where You Could Just Send an Email?

We’ve all heard it. Someone walks out of a meeting, sighs, and mutters: “That could have been an email.”

The problem isn’t just wasted time - it’s lost focus, disengaged employees, and slower decision-making. Meetings are expensive. Every time you pull people into a room (or onto Zoom), you’re taking away hours they could spend doing real work.

So how do you know when to call a meeting and when to just send an email?

When to Send an Email

If the purpose is information sharing, a meeting is overkill. Written communication works better because it gives people time to process, respond when they’re ready, and keep a record for reference.

Examples:

• Project updates and status reports

• Confirming logistics, deadlines, or decisions already made

• Sharing policies, announcements, or background reading

• Providing data or documents that don’t require live discussion

  
  

Email rule of thumb: If no discussion or decision is needed, don’t schedule a meeting.

When to Call a Meeting

Meetings are powerful when the goal is interaction, alignment, or decision-making. This is where human connection and group intelligence matter.

Examples:

• Brainstorming solutions to a problem

• Aligning stakeholders on a new direction or strategy

• Exploring options, trade-offs, and risks

• Resolving conflict or addressing misunderstandings

• Making high-stakes decisions where buy-in is critical

In these situations, an email won’t cut it - you need dialogue, nuance, and sometimes a facilitator to keep the process productive.

The Hidden Cost of Bad Meetings

The issue isn’t just having too many meetings - it’s having poorly designed ones.

• No clear purpose or agenda

• Too many people invited “just in case”

• Dominant voices drowning out others

• No clear outcomes or follow-up

This is why so many people leave meetings feeling drained instead of energized. The time together wasn’t used wisely.

A Facilitator’s Perspective

As a facilitator, I always encourage leaders to ask themselves three questions before scheduling a meeting:

1. What is the real purpose? (Information or interaction?)

2. What do I need from participants? (Awareness, input, or a decision?)

3. What’s the best process to achieve that? (Email, memo, workshop, or facilitated meeting?)

4. What are the probable issues that we already know of?

5. What is the final product? (what's expected as a result?)

   
   

When leaders choose wisely, two things happen:

• People trust that meetings are worth their time.

• Decisions become faster, clearer, and more widely supported.

  
  

Final Thought

Meetings aren’t bad. In fact, the right meeting, designed well, is one of the most powerful tools for building clarity, alignment, and commitment.

But if you’re still calling for meetings that could just be emails, you’re burning out your team and weakening your culture.

Great leaders know the difference and they use facilitation to make sure every meeting earns its place on the calendar.