According to Atlassian, employees attend an average of 62 meetings per month. Only half are considered productive. While there are a myriad of reasons why a meeting might be less effective than intended, one possible explanation is that it is, simply, the wrong type of meeting. As the below guide discusses, choosing the right kind of internal meeting often involves several steps. Types of internal meetings There are several types of internal meetings. Large meetings—such as all-hands (or full staff) and role-specific (i.e. all managers)—can be ideal for launching new initiatives or sharing company updates. Departmental and cross-functional (or project-based) meetings can enable team members to engage with more targeted news and training, or to organize and track ongoing tasks. One-on-one meetings are often reserved for check-ins and individual mentoring, performance discussions, and other sensitive conversations. Choosing the correct meeting style can help to ensure that you are using your time productively and accomplishing your aims. Selection criteria If you are uncertain about which meeting type best suits your needs, consider the following criteria. First, define the objectives for the meeting. Is it intended to define strategy or concrete action items? If so, a role-specific, departmental, or one-on-one meeting may be advantageous. Are you hoping to report results and discuss lessons learned? An all-hands meeting may be ideal. A cross-functional meeting can help you gather relevant stakeholders to begin a new project, while a deep dive into a narrow metric or topic may be perfect for a departmental meeting. Seeking alignment or buy-in for a proposal? An all-hands or role-specific meeting might be the right choice.