Recurring meetings are born with good intentions and die slowly. The process is predictable enough that you can identify exactly which stage any given recurring meeting is in.
Stage 1: The Hopeful Launch
Someone identifies a genuine coordination need. A recurring meeting is scheduled. The first few sessions have an agenda, produce decisions, and end on time. Attendees leave feeling like the meeting was worth their hour. This stage lasts between two and six weeks.
Stage 2: The Drift
The original problem has been mostly solved, but the meeting continues because it is on the calendar. Agenda items become thinner. Someone starts filling time with updates that could have been emails. The meeting runs slightly over. Nobody cancels it because cancelling feels like giving up on something.
Stage 3: The Attendance Erosion
People start sending regrets. Not because they are busy — they are always busy — but because the cost-benefit calculation has shifted. The meeting now costs an hour and produces approximately nothing. Attendance drops from twelve to seven to four. The four who remain are either the organizer, people who feel obligated, and one person who genuinely forgot they could decline.
Stage 4: The Rescheduling Loop
The meeting gets moved so often that nobody is sure when it actually is. It has been rescheduled four times this month. The calendar entry now has three different time slots, two of which are in the past. Someone asks "are we still meeting this week?" in a chat message every Tuesday.
Stage 5: The Zombie Phase
The meeting is technically still on the calendar but has not actually occurred in six weeks. It exists as a recurring ghost. Nobody has cancelled it. Nobody has attended it. It simply recurs, silently, every week, consuming calendar space and generating automatic reminders that everyone dismisses.
Stage 6: The Guilt Revival
Someone notices the meeting has not happened and feels responsible. They send a message saying "we should get this back on track." A new meeting is scheduled to discuss what the recurring meeting should cover. This meeting produces a revised agenda for the recurring meeting. The recurring meeting is relaunched with renewed energy. Return to Stage 1.
Stage 7: The Quiet Cancellation
In rare cases, someone simply cancels the meeting. They send a brief note explaining that the original need has been met and the meeting is no longer necessary. Everyone who receives this message feels a small, genuine relief. Nobody schedules a meeting to discuss the cancellation. This is the best possible outcome.
The audit: Look at your recurring meetings. For each one, ask: "Would I reschedule this if it were cancelled today?" If the answer is no, you have your answer.