5 Signs Your Weekly Team Meetings Reveal Your Team Is Just Surviving

Are your weekly meetings actually hurting team performance? Here's what to watch for...

Weekly meetings – love them or hate them, they're often essential for bringing people together, ensuring alignment, and sharing critical information. But what if your weekly touchpoints are actually revealing something more concerning about your team's health?

As a collaboration expert, I have observed that team meetings provide invaluable insights into whether a team is truly thriving or merely surviving day-to-day. Here are five warning signs that your weekly meetings might be pointing to deeper team dysfunction...and how small changes can help to shift the dynamic.

1. One Person Dominates Every Conversation

The Problem: Maybe it's the team leader who talks while nobody asks questions. Perhaps it's a particularly vocal team member, and leadership does nothing to balance participation. Or maybe you're facilitating and getting anyone to contribute feels impossible, so you end up filling all the silence yourself.

What It Reveals: This indicates your team is "Voiceless" – one of the key symptoms of a team operating in survival mode. Team members likely feel unfulfilled, resentful, or exhausted, especially during these meetings.

The Impact: When only one voice is heard, you're missing crucial perspectives, innovative ideas, and early warning signs of problems.

2. Nobody Knows What the Meeting Is Actually For

The Problem: Sure, it's a "weekly touchpoint" and "essential for hybrid teams." It might even be mandatory. But despite attending religiously, you can't articulate what value these meetings add to your work week. The agenda seems to change randomly, leaving you uncertain what to expect. Or you are repeating things you have already discussed with other colleagues for the benefit of a superior who doesn't necessarily need to know the detail (dependant on their role).

What It Reveals: Your team is "Inconsistent" – another survival mode symptom. You're probably dealing with competing priorities constantly, wondering what this week's flavor will be and what you'll be asked to drop for the next urgent initiative.

The Impact: Without clear purpose, meetings become time-wasters that breed frustration rather than drive results.

Half the Meeting Content Is Irrelevant to Most Attendees

The Problem: In a 60-minute meeting, you actively participate for maybe 10 minutes – giving your update to the boss, then sitting through everyone else's unrelated work discussions. Or perhaps leadership shares updates that don't impact your role or responsibilities.

What It Reveals: Your team is "Vague" – lacking clear combined purpose or direction. Different individuals work on separate streams that never intersect, possibly by design.

The Impact: Team members become unfulfilled and scattered, questioning their contribution to the bigger picture.

4. This Is the Only Time Team Members See Each Other All Week

The Problem: The weekly meeting becomes the manager's only opportunity to gather everyone (because they're too busy with other things), turning it into individual status updates. During these sessions, people often discover their recent efforts were duplicated by colleagues or that crucial decisions were made without their knowledge.

What It Reveals: Your team is "Scattered" – working in silos without proper coordination or communication channels.

The Impact: Team members grow frustrated and resentful toward each other, leading to inconsistent work and individual exhaustion.

5. There's a Collective Groan When Meeting Day Arrives

The Problem: Whether in-person, hybrid, or remote, you can sense the collective reluctance. People make comments like "This again" or "another week gone by." In virtual settings, you notice side conversations, betting pools about meeting outcomes, or people clearly multitasking instead of engaging.

What It Reveals: Your team is "Unfulfilled" and potentially "Resentful" – clear indicators of survival mode operation.

The Impact: When team members dread collaboration time, you've lost one of your most powerful tools for building culture and driving results.

From SURVIVE to THRIVE: What Better Looks Like

If these scenarios feel familiar, your team is probably functioning "fine" – but it's far from optimal. Operating in SURVIVE mode means work gets done, but you're missing tremendous potential.

When teams move from survival to thriving, meetings transform completely:

• Visceral engagement that only happens when people are fully integrated with themselves and others

• Thorough discussions where team members positively challenge each other's ideas

• Harmonious collaboration even during disagreements

• Ready adaptability when circumstances change

• Evolving solutions that meet current organisational needs, not last week's problems

Want to know more about my Survive/Thrive models of team inclusion? Sign up to receive the e-guide as soon as it is released!

Ready to Transform Your Team Dynamics?

Moving from survival to thriving is about fundamentally improving how your team communicates, innovates, and adapts to organisational needs.

I’m Valerie and I am the owner of Abdy's In. I specialise in helping teams overcome these common challenges through proven methodologies and practical solutions. My SURVIVE/THRIVE model is based on years of experience working with diverse teams to unlock their full potential.

Don't let dysfunctional meetings be a symptom of deeper team issues.

Contact me today to learn how I can help your team not just survive, but truly thrive. But I'd also love to hear your experience so I can continually improve at what I do.