The 3 Shifts That Make All-Hands Work
If you’re leading, planning, or influencing your company’s All-Hands meetings, you already know: they take a ton of effort. And yet… so many still fall flat.
They turn into delivery mechanisms instead of moments that matter, where we push out updates instead of pulling people in. That’s a missed opportunity.
Because an All-Hands isn’t just a meeting. It’s a chance to move a room. To align people, reconnect, and influence.
And creating more effective and engaging All-Hands isn’t about flashy transitions or clever GIFs.
Real engagement is when employees leave feeling more committed, more bought in, and with a greater sense of ownership.
Here are three key shifts to help you get there:
From topics to effect
Start with the effect, not just the topic or the message. Instead of asking “What should we cover?” ask:
What do we want to be different after this?
What should people think, feel, do, or say differently?
How will we know it worked?
When we design around effect, not just agenda items, you create a more purposeful, focused, and aligned experience. You also gain a strategic filter. Suddenly, those “Can I add a slide?” requests are easier to navigate—you have a clear reason to say yes or no.
A recent client’s All-Hands used to be packed and chaotic. Executives would add slides at the last minute, the flow was inconsistent, and there was no clear decision-making process. Once we aligned on the desired effect—in this case, to rally around the mission and show meaningful progress—everything changed. The agenda became focused. And for the first time, the gathering felt cohesive instead of scrambled.
Pro tip: Share the “effect agenda” before and after the all-hands to boost clarity and retention.
From push to pull
Too many All-Hands are built around push communication: “We’ve got a lot to get through. Let’s get the slides out.”
That is information at people. But engagement doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from pulling people in.
Here’s how to do that:
Give people a role. Ask them to track a theme, reflect on a question, or share a takeaway.
Co-create meaning. Use discussion prompts, worksheets, or digital whiteboards.
Start with a question. Instead of jumping into topics, pose a central question to spark curiosity and ownership.
These small, intentional choices signal something big: You’re not just here to listen. You’re here because we need your thinking. And when people feel needed, they show up differently. They feel seen, and they’re more likely to stay engaged.
From one-size-fits-all to personalized
Engagement deepens when your message connects with what your audience actually cares about. That’s where personalization comes in—before, during, and after the event.
Ways to personalize your All-Hands:
In your pre-comms: Don’t just share the agenda. Share why this moment matters. What’s unique about it? Why now?
Host “after-shows”: These small-group debriefs give teams a safer space to digest, connect, and personalize the content.
Land the plane: Don’t end the meeting without clarity. Take time to summarize key points, decisions, next steps, and takeaways. Ask others to reflect and share theirs, too. This makes the content stick, and signals that their input matters.
Who is your All-Hands for?
Sometimes, the biggest barrier to change isn’t the format—it’s the mindset.
You might see the potential in these moments. But others, especially senior leaders, might not. They might think the All-Hands is for them.
To showcase their ideas. To deliver updates. To check the box.
But here’s the shift I want to offer: You don’t have to control the whole meeting to influence how it lands.
Even small moves—how you frame the invite, what question you suggest a speaker open with, how you wrap the meeting—can spark a ripple effect.
And you can start by asking one powerful question: Who is this All-Hands really for?
If the answer is “the leadership team,” gently challenge that. Remind them: We’re not just delivering content. We’re trying to create clarity, commitment, and connection.
That means designing with the audience in mind, not just the presenters.
Lindsey Caplan is a screenwriter turned organizational psychologist who helps HR and business leaders design group moments that drive engagement and move people to act