Running a meeting with collaborators

We had a Seascape Lab discussion recently about running meetings with collaborators. The conversation covered everything from preparation to managing conflict to how to actually end a meeting properly (something we all agreed we’re not always great at). Here’s what we learned.

Preparation matters

Before anyone enters the room, you’re already shaping how the meeting will go. Know what you want to discuss. Share background materials or presentations ahead of time. Give people context so everyone starts on the same page—this is especially important for external collaborators who haven’t been immersed in the work recently.

Set an agenda and get agreement on it. This gives you natural authority to keep the meeting on track later.

Opening the meeting

Teams vary in how they like to begin. Some people want a few minutes of personal conversation. Others prefer to jump straight into business. Either works—just set expectations and move naturally into the agenda.

Context is important at the start. A quick recap of why everyone is there and what you’re trying to achieve helps align attention.

Keeping people engaged

Engagement takes work to maintain. Here are some practical strategies we discussed:

Ask questions. A simple but powerful—actively involving people keeps attention high and signals that contributions matter.

Give people a break. Not all disengagement comes from disinterest. Sometimes people are just tired. “Brain breaks” aren’t just for school kids. A quick stretch, a moment to summarise what’s been decided so far, or even a light joke or fun slide can be enough for a break. Humour can help, but use it thoughtfully to avoid misfires.

Pitch content at the right level. If the discussion is too technical or too basic, you’ll lose people. This takes planning.

Managing people who talk too much

Someone dominating the discussion is a common challenge. The approach we discussed emphasised balance and respect:

Let them contribute—don’t shut them down. Acknowledge their point (“affirm and follow on”). Then gently reclaim the floor by pointing back to the agenda or reminding the group of time constraints.

A clear agenda gives you natural authority to move the conversation forward.

Navigating conflict

Conflict isn’t always bad—it’s often a sign of engagement. But it needs managing. Here are several approaches:

If no decision-maker is in the room: Park the issue and escalate it to the decision maker. Don’t force a false resolution.

If a decision-maker is present: Ensure all voices are heard, affirm that everyone’s input will be considered, then let the decision-maker guide the group forward.

If participants feel historically unheard: You may need to explicitly demonstrate that a new, fairer process is in place. People participate more openly when they trust the structure.

Ending the meeting well

Meetings often drift to a close with no clear outcome—something we all recognised. A strong ending includes two things:

A clear summary. Briefly restate what was discussed and what decisions were made.

Next steps with responsibilities. Spell out the actions, who is responsible for each, and ideally the timeline.

For formal committees, we noted the value of an action register—a structured list that is revisited at the start of the next meeting. For less formal collaborations, a lighter version still helps ensure actions don’t disappear.

The underlying theme

A lot of a good meeting is just about getting agreement. Agreement on what the meeting will cover. Agreement on the decisions made. Agreement on the actions and who owns them.

Meetings may involve sharing information, but their power lies in aligning people and creating clarity about the path forward.

Thanks to the Seascape Lab for the discussion that informed this post.