Hi there,

Last week, I wrapped up a massive product launch event that involved coordinating across seven different teams: marketing, sales, product, operations, creative, brand, and comms. Each team had their own priorities, timelines, and ideas about what "success" looked like.

Sound familiar?

If you've ever tried to plan a complex event with multiple stakeholders, you know the pain: the endless email threads, the meetings that spiral into debates about font choices, the decisions that get unmade three times before anyone commits, the endless Slack messages to try to regain clarity and “alignment” from a meeting that wasn’t well run.

But here's what I've learned after 15+ years of orchestrating events for Google, AWS, SoftBank, and Airtable: The quality of your cross-functional meetings directly determines the quality of your event.

When your meetings are productive, intentional, motivational, and efficient, your event gets delivered on time, on budget, and on brand. When they're unprepared, unengaging, or dominated by the loudest voice in the room? Your event suffers—and so does your team's morale.

So today, I want to share the exact framework I use to run cross-functional team meetings that actually drive results and save time rather than waste it. These aren't theoretical best practices—they're battle-tested tactics I use every single week to keep complex events on track while keeping my team engaged and energized.

Gianna's Gem: Great events don't happen by accident. They happen because someone facilitated the h*** out of the planning process.

The Pre-Meeting Foundation: Set Yourself Up for Success

The biggest mistake people make with cross-functional meetings? They think the work starts when everyone joins the Zoom. Wrong. The real work happens before anyone shows up.

1. Define Your Meeting's North Star

Before you send a single calendar invite, get crystal clear on what this specific meeting needs to accomplish. Not what it could accomplish. What it must accomplish.

I use this simple framework:

Purpose: Why are we meeting? (One sentence.)
Outcome: What decision or deliverable will we have by the end? (Specific and measurable.)
Success Looks Like: How will we know this meeting was worth everyone's time?

Example:

Purpose: Finalize the event agenda and assign session owners.
Outcome: A locked agenda with confirmed speakers and session leads for each slot.
Success Looks Like: Every attendee leaves knowing exactly what they own and by when. No "I'll think about it and get back to you."

When you're this specific upfront, you eliminate 90% of the scope creep and tangential conversations that derail meetings.

2. Invite Intentionally (Not Everyone Needs to Be There)

Here's an uncomfortable truth: Most meetings have too many people in them.

I know, I know—you don't want anyone to feel excluded. You want to be inclusive. But here's what actually happens when you invite people who don't need to be there:

Meetings take twice as long because everyone feels obligated to contribute something
Decisions get diluted because too many voices are weighing in on details that don't concern them or that they aren’t responsible or accountable for
The people who do need to be there get frustrated because their time is being wasted

My rule: Only invite people who either:

Need to make a decision in this meeting
Own a deliverable that will be discussed
Have critical context that impacts the decision

Everyone else gets a post-meeting summary. That's not exclusion—that's respecting their time. Those “I’s” aka “informed” folks on the RACI chart? Send them the recap since they don’t need to directly weigh in on a decision.

And this also saves money! I often ask an agency which team members need to be in stakeholder meetings, and which can be informed by their team leader in other stand-up meetings. Billable hours are real, so when you cut the folks required to attend meetings, they can be using your budget to actually get work done!

3. The Pre-Read That Actually Gets Read

You know what doesn't work? Sending a 12-page deck two hours before the meeting and expecting people to digest it.

You know what does work? A one-page pre-read that takes 5 minutes to review and actually prepares people to contribute.

Here's my template:

Meeting: [Name]
Date/Time: [Details]
Purpose: [One sentence] and What We'll Decide: [Bullet points]

Your Prep:

Review the attached [doc/deck/brief]
Come prepared to discuss: [Specific question]
If you have concerns about [topic], please flag them before the meeting

Background/Context: [2-3 sentences of essential context]

Open Questions Going Into the Meeting:

[Question 1]
[Question 2]
[Question 3]

We did this when I worked at Amazon, and while I didn’t love everything about working there, the pre-read culture was super helpful as it set a standard for preparing in advance. Sometimes, we’d even take the first 10 minutes of a call to let everyone read the “PR FAQ brief” as we called them. Ideally, an option to pre-read is best as it allows some processing time (which I often find leads to more productive, thoughtful discussions).

This format does something magical: it tells people exactly what to prepare and what they'll be expected to contribute. No surprises. No winging it.

Pro tip: I send this 24 - 48 hours before the meeting, not 2 hours. People need processing time, not panic time.

During the Meeting: Facilitation Tactics That Keep Things Moving

Okay, everyone's on the call. Now what? This is where most meetings fall apart. Someone dominates the conversation. Side debates erupt. Time evaporates. You end with "let's circle back on this" instead of actual decisions.

Here's how to avoid that:

1. Start with the "Why We're Here" Reminder

Don't assume everyone read your pre-read (they didn't). Don't assume everyone remembers why this meeting was scheduled (they don't).

I start every meeting the same way:

"Thanks for being here. Quick reminder on why we're gathered: [one-sentence purpose]. By the end of this hour, we need to [specific outcome]. If we accomplish that, we'll all be able to [impact on the event]. Sound good?"

This takes 30 seconds and orients everyone to the same goal. It also gives you permission to redirect conversations later: "That's a great point, but it's outside the scope of what we need to decide today. Let's table it for now."

2. Assign Roles (Yes, Even in a One-Hour Meeting)

Here's a tactic I learned from my time at Google that transformed how I run meetings: explicitly assign roles at the start.

The roles I use:

Facilitator (oftentimes me): Keeps time, manages the agenda, redirects conversations, ensures everyone is heard.

Decider: The person with final authority on the decision we're making. (This is critical—there can only be one. If you have co-deciders, you'll spend the meeting watching them negotiate in real-time.)

Notetaker: Captures decisions, action items, and key discussion points. (This should NOT be the facilitator. You can't facilitate and take notes simultaneously.) I am the WORST at trying to take notes while facilitating. Good news - Ai can now handle this for you. :)

Timekeeper: Watches the clock and gives warnings when we're approaching time limits for each agenda item.

When you name these roles out loud, people step into them. The Decider feels empowered to make the call. The Notetaker knows they're responsible for capturing outcomes. The Timekeeper will actually interrupt when you're over time.

Without explicit roles? Everyone assumes someone else is handling it, and nothing gets handled.

3. The Parking Lot: Your Best Friend for Staying on Track

You know those moments when someone brings up a valid-but-off-topic concern and you don't want to dismiss them but also can't afford to go down that rabbit hole?

Enter: The Parking Lot.

I keep a running "Parking Lot" doc visible during every meeting (shared screen or collaborative doc). When something comes up that's important but not urgent for this specific discussion, I say:

"That's a great point—let's add it to the Parking Lot so we don't lose it. We'll address it either at the end if we have time, or in a follow-up."

Then I literally type it into the Parking Lot doc so the person sees I'm taking it seriously.

This does two things:

The person feels heard (because they were)
The conversation stays on track (because we didn't derail)

And here's the key: You actually have to revisit the Parking Lot. If you say you will and then don't, people stop trusting the process.

The "Strong Opinions, Loosely Held" Framework

Cross-functional meetings often fail because people confuse collaboration with consensus. They think everyone needs to agree before you can move forward.

Wrong.

Here's what I tell my teams:

"We're going to have a discussion where everyone shares their perspective. Then [the Decider] is going to make the call. You don't have to agree with the decision, but you do have to commit to it once it's made. That's what 'strong opinions, loosely held' means—advocate for your position, but once the decision is made, we move forward as one team."

This gives people permission to “disagree and commit” without the pressure to achieve false consensus. And it makes the Decider's job clear: listen to all inputs, weigh the trade-offs, make the call.

5. Decision-Making Framework: When to Discuss vs. When to Decide

Not every topic requires the same level of discussion. But most meetings treat everything equally, which is why they drag on forever.

I use this framework to categorize agenda items:

Type 1 (Inform): No discussion needed. Just share the information and move on.
"Update: The venue contract is signed. Here's the link if you want details."

Type 2 (Input): We need perspectives before deciding, but one person will make the final call.
"We're deciding between three keynote speakers. Here are the options. Let's hear pros and cons, then [Decider] will choose."

Type 3 (Consensus): Everyone needs to align because the decision impacts all teams equally.
"We're setting the event date. This affects everyone's timelines, so we need full agreement."

Type 4 (Debate): We have significant disagreement and need to thoroughly discuss trade-offs.
"Marketing wants a big public activation. Sales wants an intimate client dinner. Let's discuss the strategy and decide."

Label each agenda item with its type. This tells people how to engage and how much time to allocate.

6. The "Two-Minute Drill" for Efficient Decision-Making

When you're trying to make a decision and the conversation is going in circles, I use the "Two-Minute Drill":

"Okay, we've heard a lot of perspectives. Here's what we're going to do: Everyone gets two minutes max to make their final case. Then we decide. No rebuttals, no back-and-forth. Just your clearest, most concise argument."

Then I set a timer (visibly, so people see I'm serious).

This forces people to distill their thoughts. It eliminates the filibustering. And it creates urgency that drives to a decision.

The Post-Meeting Follow-Through: Where Most People Drop the Ball

You had a great meeting. Decisions were made. Everyone left aligned. You're done, right?

Wrong. The meeting isn't over until the proper follow-up is sent.

1. The "Within 24 Hours" Follow-Up Email

Here's my template for post-meeting follow-up (which I send within 24 hours, always):

Subject: [Event Name] Meeting Recap + Next Steps – [Date]

Hi team,

Thanks for a productive meeting yesterday. Here's what we decided and what happens next:

DECISIONS MADE:

[Decision 1]
[Decision 2]
[Decision 3]

ACTION ITEMS:

Owner: Task: Due Date

Lucy: Finalize speaker lineup: Nov 20

etc.

PARKING LOT ITEMS (to address in next meeting or via separate discussion):

[Item 1]
[Item 2]

OPEN QUESTIONS:

[Question we still need to resolve]

NEXT MEETING: [Date, time, purpose]

Let me know if I missed anything or if you have questions.

Thanks,
Gianna

Why this works:

Decisions are clearly documented (no "wait, what did we decide?" confusion)
Action items have owners and deadlines (accountability)
Parking Lot items are acknowledged (people feel heard)
Open questions are named (transparency about what's still uncertain)

2. The Accountability Check-In

Here's where most cross-functional meetings fail: There's no accountability mechanism between meetings.

Someone commits to delivering something by Friday. Friday comes and goes. The next meeting happens, and suddenly we're all scrambling because the thing didn't get done.

My solution: The midpoint check-in.

If action items are due in two weeks, I send a quick Slack message one week in:

"Hey team—just checking in on action items from our last meeting. How's everyone tracking? Any blockers I can help clear?"

This does two things:

It reminds people of their commitments
It surfaces issues early, when there's still time to course-correct

No one likes being checked in on. But everyone appreciates not being blindsided by missed deadlines.

Keeping the Team Motivated: The Human Element of Cross-Functional Collaboration

Okay, we've covered the tactical stuff—agendas, roles, decision frameworks. But here's what really separates good meetings from great ones: how you make people feel.

You can have the most efficient meeting process in the world, but if people leave feeling unheard, undervalued, or uninspired, you've failed.

Here's how I keep teams engaged and motivated:

1. Start with Wins

Before diving into the agenda, I always spend 3-5 minutes celebrating wins from the previous week:

"Before we jump in, I want to call out a few wins: Marco, the sponsor deck you created is phenomenal—two sponsors have already signed on. Lucy, your quick thinking on the venue issue saved us a huge headache. Priya, the event copy you drafted got rave reviews from leadership."

This takes less than five minutes and does something magical: It reminds people that progress is happening. It builds morale. It shows that you notice their contributions.

2. Give Credit Publicly, Give Feedback Privately

If someone dropped the ball on a deliverable, don't call them out in the meeting. Pull them aside afterward:

"Hey, I noticed the floor plan wasn't ready for today's discussion. What happened? How can I help?"

But when someone does great work? Broadcast it.

"Everyone, I want to pause here and acknowledge the incredible job Emma did on this. She went above and beyond, and it shows."

Gianna’s Gem: Public praise, private correction. Always.

3. End with Energy, Not Exhaustion

Most meetings end with "Okay, I think that's everything. Thanks, everyone."

Weak.

I end every meeting with:

"Alright team, we crushed it today. We made [X decisions], we're on track for [milestone], and we're building something really special here. Thanks for bringing your A-game. See you next week."

This leaves people feeling accomplished, not drained. It reminds them why their work matters. It creates momentum instead of fatigue.

The Secret Sauce: Making People Feel Like Partners, Not Pe-ons

Here's the real truth about cross-functional meetings: People don't just want to be informed. They want to be involved.

When you treat people like order-takers ("Just do what I'm telling you"), they disengage. When you treat them like partners ("I need your expertise to solve this"), they lean in.

How I do this:

Instead of: "We need the booth design by Friday."

I say: "We're trying to create an experience that feels immersive but not overwhelming. You're the design expert—what do you think would work best?"

Instead of: "Marketing wants a big activation, but we don't have budget."

I say: "Here's the challenge: Marketing's vision requires $50K more than we have. How do we deliver the impact they want within our budget constraints? Let's brainstorm."

Notice the difference? In the first version, I'm assigning tasks. In the second version, I'm enlisting problem-solvers.

Gianna's Gem: When you invite people to solve problems with you instead of for you, you unlock their best thinking—and their deepest commitment.

The Framework in Action: A Real Example

Let me show you how this all comes together with a real example from a recent event.

The Challenge: We were planning a 500-person conference with tight timelines, limited budget, and seven cross-functional teams who all had different priorities.

The Meeting Structure:

Week 1: Vision Alignment Meeting

Purpose: Get everyone aligned on event goals and success metrics
Outcome: Agreed-upon vision statement and top 3 priorities
Format: I facilitated a discussion where each team shared their goals, then we identified overlaps and conflicts. By the end, we had a unified vision that everyone could rally behind.

Week 2-12: Weekly Working Sessions

Purpose: Make decisions on venue, agenda, budget, and logistics
Outcome: Locked decisions with clear owners
Format: Each meeting followed the same structure: wins from last week, decisions needed this week, action items with owners and deadlines, parking lot for future discussions.

Week 13: Pre-Event All-Hands

Purpose: Final alignment and team motivation
Outcome: Everyone clear on their role and pumped to execute
Format: Run-of-show walkthrough, Q&A, and a rousing "we've got this" closing.

The Result?

Event delivered on time, on budget, on brand
Zero last-minute scrambles or surprises
Post-event survey: 94% of attendees rated it "excellent"
Team morale stayed high throughout (no burnout or drama)

And here's the kicker: Multiple team members told me afterward that it was the smoothest event planning process they'd ever experienced.

Not because I'm a genius. Because I facilitated the hell out of our meetings.

Your Action Plan: Start With One Meeting

I know this feels like a lot. And you're probably thinking, "That's great for Gianna, but I don't have time to redesign my entire meeting strategy."

Fair enough.

So here's what I want you to do: Pick one upcoming meeting and try just three things:

Send a one-page pre-read 48 hours in advance with the meeting purpose, decisions needed, and what people should prepare.
Assign explicit roles at the start of the meeting: Facilitator, Decider, Notetaker, Timekeeper.
Send a follow-up within 24 hours with decisions, action items (with owners and deadlines), and next steps.

That's it. Three small changes.

And I promise you: your meeting will be more productive, your team will be more aligned, and you'll feel more in control.

Then, once you've experienced the difference, you can layer in the other tactics: the Parking Lot, the Two-Minute Drill, the midpoint check-ins.

Because here's what I've learned: Productive meetings aren't about working harder. They're about facilitating smarter.

And when you facilitate with intention—when you create structure, clarity, and psychological safety—magic happens.

Decisions get made. Deadlines get met. Teams stay motivated. And events get delivered with excellence.

Gianna's Gem: Your event is only as good as the meetings that planned it. Facilitate like your event depends on it—because it does.

You've got this.

XX,
Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Unreasonable Hospitality Dialogue Playing Cards

I’m a huge fan of playing cards to bond (current favorite is five card draw poker with my son) and also am famous for having conversations in my purse with me at all times for when you need to facilitate some engagement (I use them with my son’s friends all the time!)

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Because the best events aren't just well-planned—they're well-connected.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com