Shishir Mehrotra’s 10 rules for leading great team meetings | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The post argues that effective teams deliberately design two products: what they deliver to customers and the workplace experience that enables employees to do their best work. Shishir Mehrotra frames this employee experience as a system of named, known, and templated rituals—especially meetings. Great teams use different meeting types intentionally and create durable rhythms that keep ambitious work moving.

Rituals as the “Employee Product”

• Company culture becomes tangible through recurring behaviors and rituals.
• Strong rituals share three traits:
  • They are explicitly named.
  • Employees learn them early.
  • They follow a repeatable template.
• Teams do not need to invent every practice themselves; they can borrow proven rituals from other organizations.

Three Types of Team Meetings

Mehrotra and meeting expert Elise Keith categorize meetings into three groups:

• Cadence meetings

  • Examples include staff meetings, stand-ups, and project syncs.
  • They recur with the same participants and maintain forward momentum.
  • Their core question is: Are we on track toward our goals?

• Catalyst meetings

  • Examples include decision forums, product reviews, and design critiques.
  • They are intended to change direction or resolve important questions.
  • Their core question is: Did we reach an answer?
  • Too many catalyst meetings can exhaust teams.

• Context meetings

  • Examples include all-hands meetings, off-sites, orientations, and one-on-ones.
  • They establish shared information, insight, and relationships.
  • Their core question is: Are we better enabled to do our jobs?

Sustaining Long-Term Goals

• Mehrotra uses John F. Kennedy’s moonshot as an example of the power of cadence.
• Kennedy reinforced the decade-long objective with a weekly meeting involving NASA’s leadership.
• Regular meetings can maintain progress on ambitious goals, but they often feel repetitive or obligatory.
• Teams should therefore design engaging rituals that make recurring meetings feel purposeful rather than like a chore.
• The article points readers to meeting templates and a ritual toolkit for practical examples.

Practical Takeaway

Treat meetings as designed team products, not unavoidable calendar events. Choose the right meeting type, define its purpose and success question, and establish a clear, repeatable ritual that supports the team’s long-term goals.