From soul-crushing to soul-stirring — real tales from the trenches of how we meet.
We all have stories —
These stories matter. They remind us why Meeting Experience (MX) exists — and why the movement to change meetings forever is long overdue.
Here we share short, anonymous vignettes of dysfunctional meetings — the kind that leave you drained, doubting, or done.
"We met every Friday to 'give feedback' on projects. But it was just one leader dominating with vague criticism. No action ever came of it. People stopped preparing. Eventually, we just read emails during the meeting, waiting for it to end."
"We had 18 people in the room for a 45-minute meeting to decide on a product name. No facilitator. No structure. After a chaotic brainstorm, the marketing lead said, 'We'll take it away and decide.' We could've skipped the whole thing."
"I was invited to a strategy session, excited to contribute. But the agenda was so jam-packed we only got to surface-level discussion. I didn't get to speak once. At the end, they said 'Thanks for your input.' I hadn't made any."
Not all meetings are painful. Here we celebrate what happens when meetings are intentionally designed — with purpose, inclusion, clarity, and energy.
"Our team used to spend the first 30 minutes catching everyone up. Then we introduced 5-minute pre-reads and one key question in advance. The meetings shrank by half and the quality of decisions skyrocketed."
"Our facilitator started using round-robin check-ins and dot voting. One junior team member's idea became the new campaign direction. They told me afterward it was the first time they felt heard at work."
"At the end of a tough planning session, we paused and went around the room: one takeaway, one shout-out. We left smiling and energized. That small moment changed how our team felt about planning meetings."
We want to hear from you.
👇 Use the form below to share your story. You can be anonymous or include your name. We may feature your story on this page, in our newsletter, or in future MX training content.
Stories wake people up. They break the cycle of meeting dysfunction by holding up a mirror. They also offer proof — that change is possible, and MX is worth the effort.
Every story is a ripple. Share yours today.