Best Times for Meetings to Maximize Engagement

Discover the optimal times for online meetings to boost attendance, engagement, and decision-making effectiveness.

min read

The timing of your meetings can significantly impact its effectiveness. Just as there are peak hours for physical productivity, there are optimal times for mental engagement and decision-making. Choosing the right time for your meetings can lead to better attendance, increased participation, and more productive outcomes.

When you schedule meetings at the right time, you're more likely to have alert, focused participants who can contribute meaningfully to discussions. On the other hand, poorly timed meetings might result in distracted attendees, low energy levels, and ineffective decision-making.

Best Time: 3 PM attendance amplification

3 PM is the sweet spot for online meetings, maximizing attendance and productivity. Why?

  1. Peak Engagement: Minds refreshed, post-lunch slump conquered.
  2. Strategic Timing: Perfect for planning and task wrap-ups.
  3. Global Alignment: Ideal overlap for international teams.
  4. Conflict-Free: Avoids morning rushes and midday bottlenecks.

Decision fatigue: 10 AM to noon meetings

The late morning slot offers potential benefits for decision-focused meetings before you go into decision fatigue:

  1. Mental Alertness: Many report feeling focused during these hours.
  2. Fresh Perspective: Decisions may be made before daily fatigue sets in.
  3. Proactive Attitude: Some find mornings conducive to action-oriented thinking.
  4. Potential for Focus: There might be fewer accumulated distractions early in the day.

Avoid scheduling just after lunch

Avoid scheduling meetings from 1 PM to 2 PM:

  1. Energy Dip: Post-meal drowsiness affects alertness.
  2. Discomfort: Recent eating may cause physical distractions.
  3. Focus Fade: Full stomachs and midday slump impair concentration

However, an Andrew Huberman podcast described post lunch to be the best time to have creative discussions. 

By being mindful of these timing considerations, you can optimize your online meetings for better attendance, engagement, and decision-making. Remember, while these guidelines are helpful, it's also important to consider your team's specific schedule and preferences when planning meetings.

Drive better meetings with Video Calling App

We recognize that meetings are not simply blocks of time but rather valuable opportunities for brainstorming, innovation, and constructive discussions leading to impactful decisions.

That’s why we are building the Video Calling App - it helps product and engineering teams capture meeting context, automate tasks, and focus on high-impact work.

With VCA in-built collaborative tools like a whiteboard, notes, recaps, and so much more, you drive some engaging and creative meetings. 

We are still in the early stages and rolling out access every day. If that sounds interesting, join the waitlist or fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch super soon.

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Fundamentally better way to meet, focus and ship faster

Video Calling App puts all the best practices you just read into action. With VCA, product and engineering teams can capture meeting context, automate workflows, and keep everyone focused only on high-impact work.

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