If you’re constantly dealing with disengaged attendees, or conversations that go in circles, the real problem might not be your team

—it might be the lack of a defined meeting purpose. 

This article will break down exactly why every meeting needs a purpose, how to set one effectively, and what happens when you don’t.

What Is a Meeting Purpose?

A meeting purpose defines why you are holding the meeting. It clarifies the main reason for gathering participants and what you aim to accomplish. 

A meeting purpose is not just a broad statement. It is specific and actionable. Instead of saying, "Team meeting,"it should clarify the intent, such as "Discuss project milestones and assign next steps."

It is generally written down and shared before the meeting. This allows participants to prepare, bring necessary information, and engage effectively in discussions. 

Why You Should Set a Purpose Before Each Meeting

Too often, people call meetings out of habit rather than necessity. 

But a meeting should never be a default solution. Every time you invite people to a meeting, you are taking them away from real work. Without a strong reason, you’re not just wasting their time—you’re actively reducing productivity. 

A well-defined purpose brings focus and urgency. When participants know the purpose in advance, they can come prepared, making the conversation drive actions and move projects forward. 

A purpose also makes it easier to measure success. At the end of the meeting, ask yourself: "Did we accomplish what we set out to do?" If the answer is no, you might have to question the way you're doing meetings. 

Meeting Purpose vs. Objectives

There’s actually a subtle difference between meeting purpose and meeting objectives : 

1. The Purpose: The Big “Why” The purpose is the overarching reason the meeting exists. It defines why you are gathering people and sets the tone for the discussion. Without a clear purpose, the meeting loses direction and becomes an unfocused conversation. For example, a purpose might be "To align the marketing team on the next quarter’s campaign strategy." It gives a broad but meaningful reason for bringing people together.

2. Objectives: The Concrete “What” Objectives are instead specific and measurable. They define what you need to accomplish by the end of the meeting. Unlike the purpose, which is general, objectives break the meeting into tangible goals. If your purpose is "To align the marketing team on strategy," your objectives might include "Identify three priority campaigns," "Assign team leads for each campaign," and "Set a timeline for execution." These are clear, actionable items that define the meeting’s success.

The “why”, so the purpose, is what will convince people to your meetings. It needs to be short and meaningful. But you also need a “what” to make sure your meeting drives real outcomes, that is concrete and detailed objectives (what we also call actions items or agenda meeting).

Beginning here, we’ll refer to meeting purpose as both the “why” and the “what”, because that’s how it brings the most results.

How to Write and Agree on a Good Meeting Purpose

If you can’t define exactly why the meeting is happening, you shouldn’t be holding it in the first place. Here’s how you can craft and align on a meeting purpose that actually drives results.

1. Be Specific and Action-Oriented

A meeting purpose should never be broad or ambiguous. If your purpose is something generic like “Team Check-In,” you’re setting yourself up for aimless discussions. Instead, define a clear and actionable reason for the meeting.

❌ Bad Example: “Discuss sales performance”
✔️ Good Example: “Review Q1 sales numbers, identify underperforming regions, and decide on corrective actions.”

2. Align the Purpose with Business Goals

If you can’t link the purpose of your meeting to an objective that drives real results, it probably doesn’t need to happen.

For instance, if your company is pushing to increase customer retention, your meetings should reflect that priority.

❌ Bad Example: “Talk about customer experience”
✔️ Good Example: “Analyze recent customer churn data and define two initiatives to improve retention rates.”

3. Get Team Buy-In Before the Meeting

Even the best-defined meeting purpose is useless if attendees don’t understand or support it. To avoid misalignment, the purpose should be communicated ahead of time, giving participants the opportunity to provide feedback.

💡 Pro Tip: Send the meeting purpose at least 24 hours in advance, along with any relevant documents. Ask participants if they have anything to add or adjust to make the meeting more valuable.

4. Keep It Short and Clear

If you can’t define the meeting purpose in one simple sentence, you probably don’t fully understand why you’re holding it. A meeting purpose should be no more than a single, clear sentence.

❌ Bad Example: “We need to go over all aspects of our latest campaign and consider if there’s anything that needs to be changed based on feedback, and then decide whether we should adjust our approach moving forward.”
✔️ Good Example: “Evaluate campaign performance and decide on necessary adjustments for the next phase.”

5. Filter Out Unnecessary Meetings

Sometimes, the best way to write a meeting purpose is to realize that the meeting doesn’t need to happen at all. If your purpose doesn’t require real-time discussion, consider alternatives:

• Email: If the purpose is to update the team, send a summary email instead.
• Asynchronous Collaboration: Use shared documents where team members can add input without needing a live discussion.
• Quick One-on-One: If the meeting only involves two or three people, a direct conversation may be more efficient.

❌ Bad Example: “Update the team on new policy changes.” (Can be an email)
✔️ Good Example: “Align department heads on how to implement the new policy and address potential challenges.” (Requires discussion)

Examples of Meeting Purposes

Below are structured examples of meeting purposes across different business contexts.

1. Decision-Making Meetings

Purpose: To make a critical decision based on available data and insights.

• Example: Decide on the best vendor for our new CRM system based on cost, features, and long-term scalability.
• Why It Works: This purpose clearly defines the decision to be made and ensures that all discussions remain focused on evaluating vendors, rather than veering off into unrelated CRM functionalities.
• Example: Finalize the product roadmap for the next quarter, prioritizing feature development based on user feedback and technical feasibility.
• Why It Works: Instead of vaguely stating “Discuss the product roadmap,” this purpose makes it clear that the goal is to finalize and prioritize features, ensuring that the meeting results in actionable outcomes.

2. Strategy and Planning Meetings

Purpose: To align on strategy and establish a clear plan of action.

• Example: Define the key marketing initiatives for the next six months, ensuring alignment with our overall growth strategy.
• Why It Works: This prevents endless brainstorming sessions and keeps the team focused on selecting initiatives that drive growth.
• Example: Develop a content strategy that aligns with upcoming product launches, ensuring consistency across all channels.
• Why It Works: It ensures the meeting results in a specific content plan rather than an open-ended discussion about content marketing in general.

3. Status Update and Progress Review Meetings

Purpose: To review progress, identify roadblocks, and determine next steps.

• Example: Assess the progress of our Q1 sales targets and identify any necessary adjustments to meet revenue goals.
• Why It Works: This ensures that the meeting doesn’t just recap numbers but also leads to actionable decisions if targets are off track.
• Example: Review the implementation progress of the new employee onboarding process and gather feedback for improvements.
• Why It Works: Instead of a general update on onboarding, this meeting is focused on reviewing implementation and identifying improvements.

4. Problem-Solving Meetings

Purpose: To identify solutions and resolve specific challenges.

• Example: Find a resolution for recurring customer complaints about our support response times and propose immediate improvements.
• Why It Works: The focus is on solving a clear, existing problem rather than merely discussing customer service in general.
• Example: Determine the best approach to address delays in the supply chain and implement risk mitigation strategies.
• Why It Works: This ensures that by the end of the meeting, participants have not just analyzed the problem but also agreed on specific risk mitigation actions.

5. Performance Review Meetings

Purpose: To evaluate performance and provide constructive feedback.

• Example: Evaluate the past quarter’s marketing campaign performance, identifying successes and areas for improvement.
• Why It Works: It ensures the discussion focuses on insights and takeaways rather than just a surface-level performance recap.
• Example: Assess employee productivity in remote work settings and determine necessary process optimizations.
• Why It Works: The meeting is not just about reviewing employee performance but also about optimizing remote work processes.

6. Cross-Team Collaboration Meetings

Purpose: To improve interdepartmental collaboration and ensure alignment.

• Example: Align sales and marketing teams on lead qualification criteria to improve conversion rates.
• Why It Works: This avoids the usual misalignment between sales and marketing by focusing on a clear objective—improving conversions.
• Example: Ensure product and customer support teams collaborate on addressing feature requests effectively.
• Why It Works: This meeting purpose prevents siloed decision-making and encourages collaboration to enhance customer experience.

7. Innovation and Brainstorming Meetings

Purpose: To generate new ideas and explore creative solutions.

• Example: Brainstorm new features that can enhance user retention and increase product engagement.
• Why It Works: The purpose directs the brainstorming session toward a tangible goal—improving retention—rather than an unstructured ideation exercise.
• Example: Identify innovative ways to reduce operational costs without impacting product quality.
• Why It Works: It ensures that the brainstorming process is focused on a high-impact challenge.

8. Training and Knowledge Sharing Meetings

Purpose: To educate employees and ensure knowledge transfer.

• Example: Provide training on the new CRM system to ensure the sales team can fully leverage its features.
• Why It Works: The purpose clearly defines the intent—helping the sales team adopt the new system rather than just offering a broad “training session.”
• Example: Share best practices for remote team collaboration and introduce new productivity tools.
• Why It Works: Instead of discussing remote work in general, this meeting has a structured goal of knowledge-sharing and process enhancement.

Set Your Purpose with a Clear Meeting Agenda

You want to stick to your meeting purpose ? Then a meeting agenda is the practical tool for you. A meeting agenda prevents meetings from dragging on or veering into unrelated tangents.

Here’s how to craft one that works:

• Start with the Meeting Purpose: Every agenda should begin by stating the purpose clearly. This reminds attendees why the meeting is happening and what they need to achieve.
• List Key Discussion Points: Include only the topics necessary to accomplish the meeting’s purpose. Avoid overloading the agenda—too many items lead to rushed or unfocused discussions.
• Assign Responsibilities: Each topic should have an owner. This ensures discussions are led by the right people and that participants come prepared.
• Set Time Limits: Allocate specific time slots for each item. This prevents endless debates and forces the team to make decisions efficiently.
• Leave Room for Wrap-Up: The final agenda item should always be a summary of next steps. A meeting without clear takeaways is pointless.

AI-Driven Meetings & Agenda: Noota

Taking notes, tracking action items, and ensuring follow-ups are often neglected or done inefficiently. That’s where Noota comes in : 

• Customizable Agenda Templates:With Noota, you don’t need to build one from scratch every time. The platform offers customizable agenda templates tailored to different meeting types.
• Automated Recording & Real-Time Transcription: Taking manual notes is outdated. Noota records and transcribes your meetings in real-time, ensuring every key point is captured accurately.
• Automatic Extraction of Action Items:One of the biggest meeting failures? Lack of follow-up. Noota automatically extracts action items from your meetings, assigning responsibilities and deadlines.
• Seamless Sharing: Meetings shouldn’t exist in isolation. With one-click sharing, Noota allows you to distribute meeting minutes and action items effortlessly. Whether it's your team, external stakeholders, or absent colleagues—everyone stays informed.
• Integration with Your Workflow: Noota isn’t just a meeting tool—it’s a productivity enhancer. It integrates with CRM systems, project management platforms, Slack, Notion, and more, ensuring that meeting insights seamlessly connect to your daily workflows.

Want to automate your meeting agenda & minutes ? Try Noota for free now.