Meetings serve as a space for decision-making, alignment of expectations, and problem-solving in real-time. However, many meetings are inefficient and could be replaced with asynchronous communication tools such as emails, task management boards (Trello, Jira, Asana), and well-structured messages in Teams or WhatsApp work groups. With this environment of well-structured and highly effective asynchronous communication, is it possible to carry out the project without meetings? Saving Changes...
You absolutely can manage projects without formal meetings when your requirements are crystal clear and well-documented. A thoughtful email or a quick phone call often gets the job done more efficiently and written communication gives everyone something to refer back to.
I'd say at least one meeting is essential for every project to ensure success and strengthen the project team's fabric. Cutting unnecessary meetings can reclaim precious hours of your week and help everyone stay in their productive flow state. However, meetings bring benefits like enhanced human connection allowing team members to align on goals, discuss challenges, and clarify any misunderstandings. The closer the team works together, the better the project’s success!
As much as I love the idea of no meetings, I agree with Anita and other's comments. This depends on the project and brings to mind stacey complexity model (ex., projects are complex when there is low certainty in solution and low agreement in requirements). Along with communications, well organized meetings with engaged attendees can give space for:
1. clarity (around end state, blockers, etc.)
2. connections (understanding other's working style, personalities etc.)
3. collaboration (assisting others in defining problems, brainstorming solutions etc.) Saving Changes...
Yes Verónica Elizabeth, it's possible. Meetings are, at their core, a communication tool. If we have good, structured asynchronous communication, like emails or task boards, we can definitely replace many meetings. It's about choosing the right tool for the job.
Regards!
Francisco Herrera
I agree with you, Francisco. With proper organization, appropriate communication tools, and asynchronous communication, a project can be carried out smoothly and successfully without necessarily holding meetings. The key is to select the best collaborative work tools, appropriate for the type of project to be developed. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz Absolutely thought-provoking question!
While it's technically possible to manage a project without meetings, the real question is: should we?
With the right tools and a disciplined team, asynchronous communication can drastically reduce the number and length of meetings.
Tools like Trello, Jira, Asana, or structured messages in Teams can indeed handle updates, task tracking, and even some forms of decision-making efficiently.
However, a complete absence of meetings may hinder aspects that are inherently human:
- Building trust
- Reading nuance and emotion
- Quickly resolving ambiguity
- Driving engagement and ownership
What works best in my experience is purposeful minimalism: keep meetings when they add clear value—such as for kickoff alignment, key decision points, retrospectives, or when navigating complexity/conflict—and rely on asynchronous tools for the rest.
In short: meetings are not the enemy.
Poorly run meetings are.
Saving Changes...
Lauren SamfordProgram Manager, Sr. Project ManagerVirginia Beach, Va, United States
Veronica - I think it can be done. I think, after a decade of project and program management, and the rapidly evolving landscape of technology available to PMs, it can and SHOULD be done and here's why.
Every response you're going to get on this platform is from the lens of someone in your seat. What about the viewpoint of the engineers, architects, subject matter experts, and so forth? They hate meetings. With a vengeance. And every PM comes into the fold with their project and their run of the mill meeting series, and 90% of those meetings are completely inefficient. I've thought of the concept myself and with an internet search, happened upon this thread.
I say... forget the project management protocols of the past, we are in the digital age. Run it as an experiment and prove it out. What if it WAS possible, and all this time we've been telling ourselves it's not possible or efficient is a false assumption? Theoretically, if the need for a meeting surfaces during the course of a project, a simple explanation from the requestor as to why the meeting is necessary could jog a creative asynchronous solution to eliminate the meeting. Voting, polling, live chat, discussion threads such as this one... all collaboration strategies that eliminate the need for meetings.
What if it WAS possible, and you changed the culture of monotonous meeting-based project management forever?
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
We are doing that from 2015 mainly using AI in general and generative AI tools in specific. Saving Changes...
Head of International Project Management Office| Deutsche TelekomPraha, Czechia
I agree with the opinion that it is not completely ideal. Having touch points is part of team building and for me it is also important from time to time, especially when you work with non co-located teams, to meet each other in person. As Aristotele was saying, humans are social animals, therefore we need also to interact at a social level. On the other hand, it is important to evaluate if all the meetings that we are having are really necessary so that the time is used in the best way possible. Saving Changes...
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