Ep. 495 - Make Your Meetings NOT Suck: How To Revolutionize Your Meetings For Real Results

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

Second in Command with Cameron Herold

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management, Careers

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron explores a common business gripe that everyone knows all too well: why meetings (or rather, the way they're run) are so unproductive.

Cameron offers a fresh perspective by focusing on *why* this problem persists and how to fix it with simple, practical skills. You'll hear how he challenges the widespread belief that meetings are inherently awful, arguing instead that most people have never been taught how to run or participate in them effectively. Without that foundational training, leaders and employees alike contribute to the frustration, making meetings drag on or feel pointless.

The discussion then uncovers some easy-to-implement habits that can transform meetings into productive, respectful experiences. From ensuring meetings end early to setting clear agendas with defined purposes and time allocations, Cameron shares real-world examples and personal coaching insights. These small adjustments not only help curb the common problem of lateness but also create a culture where time is valued and meetings are more efficient.

This episode shows you how, by tailoring meetings to your true goals and attendees, your business can streamline communication and get better results—without sacrificing the human connection and spontaneous collaboration that meetings can foster.

Know someone who runs meetings like a hostage situation? Share this episode with them—it might just save their team. If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!

Enjoy!

In This Episode You'll Learn:

Why most people lack proper training in running meetings, leading to inefficiency and lack of productivity.

The problem with complaining about business issues without proper training in essential skills, such as interviewing, coaching, and conflict resolution.

The importance of reviewing the purpose, outcome, and agenda of each and every meeting to ensure clarity and efficiency.

How to handle informal meetings by setting clear purposes and outcomes, even in casual settings.

The challenge of managing large meetings with multiple topics and the importance of inviting only necessary participants.

And much more...

Resources:

Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn

Get Cameron’s latest book – "Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO"

Get Cameron’s online course – Invest In Your Leaders

Disclaimer:

The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Second in Command podcast or its affiliates. The content provided is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Listeners should consult with a professional for...

Transcript

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0:00.0	The CEO of the company can never, ever, ever be late for a phone call or a meeting, because if you are, what you're saying is your core values don't actually matter. So you have to create a system that allows people to then show up on time for meetings. If I don't want you to be late, what's the system that's broken that has you showing up late? So we started to analyze that. We read the book Death by Meetings. we met with Pat Vance Yoni, we talked to Bern-Harnished, what his meeting stuff. We really
0:24.0	sought to understand meetings. And what we realized was, all of us book our meetings and phone calls
0:29.3	back to back.
0:35.9	Welcome to the Second and Command podcast, produced by the C.O. Alliance and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold.
0:44.3	In the Second in Command podcast, we talk to top COOs who share the insights, strategies, and tactics that made them the chief behind the chief.
0:53.5	And now, here's your host, Cameron Herald.
1:00.2	You know, meetings suck because we're never taught how to run or even participate in them. I'm here to
1:05.3	fix that. Today I'm sharing practical, actionable systems I've used to transform meetings and scale
1:09.9	companies like 1-800 got junk. Discover the power of the five-minute buffer and my no-agenda, no-agenda rule.
1:16.7	I'll detail how these simple principles were instrumental for Gerber Auto Collision and College
1:21.0	Pro Painters. Learn how to apply structure to informal meetings and ensure only the right people
1:25.8	attend, saving time and boosting your
1:28.0	ROI.
1:32.9	So you wrote a book called Meetings.
1:35.8	So you don't really mean meetings stuck.
1:38.1	You just mean the way most people do meetings.
1:40.1	You know, and I probably missed, I did mistitled that book.
1:43.2	He was actually written by a Genius Network member. It was by Scribe Books. He These people build a book in a box. I met Tucker at one of the events. And I should have called it how to unsuck your meetings or something like that. Because people think, oh, yeah, meetings suck. I don't need to read the book. Now, the book is to teach you how to run meetings that don't suck. And this includes like L10 is just one
2:02.1	kind of meeting. You've got annual planning meetings, quarterly planning meetings, financial review
2:06.3	meetings, one-on-one coaching meetings, Zoom calls. Like, there's all types of meetings. But the reason
2:11.1	meetings suck is almost none of you have ever had training on how to run meetings. And you have
2:15.8	managers and leadership team people who run meetings every single day and they have no training in how to run meetings. And you have managers and leadership team people who run
	...

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