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Recurring vs. Ad-hoc Meetings

Topicflow supports both recurring meetings (like weekly one-on-ones) and ad-hoc meetings (like one-time project discussions). Here’s when to use each.

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Recurring meetings

Recurring meetings happen on a regular schedule and build context over time. What recurring meetings are for

• Weekly or bi-weekly one-on-ones with direct reports
• Regular skip-level meetings
• Team meetings or staff meetings
• Monthly career development conversations

Why recurring meetings work

• Consistency: Regular cadence creates predictability and trust
• Continuity: Each meeting builds on the last one
• Accountability: Action items from one meeting surface in the next
• History: A record of conversations over weeks and months

How recurring meetings work When you create a recurring meeting:

1. Set the frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
2. Each “instance” shares the same meeting space
3. Agendas, notes, and action items accumulate over time
4. Past meeting notes are always accessible

For group meetings, Topicflow automatically loads the previous meeting’s notes when you open the page, so you can quickly review what was discussed last time. Recurring meeting series include a floating table of contents that lets you jump between meetings in the series without scrolling. The meeting page navigation also makes it easy to move between the current meeting, past meetings, and related context. You don’t create a new meeting each week — it’s the same meeting, repeated. Editing recurring meetings You can:

• Change the frequency
• Update participants
• Pause or resume the recurrence
• Archive the meeting if it’s no longer needed

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Ad-hoc meetings

Ad-hoc meetings are one-time sessions for specific discussions that don’t need recurring follow-up. What ad-hoc meetings are for

• Project kickoff discussions
• One-time feedback conversations
• Interviews or candidate debriefs
• Special topics that don’t fit in regular one-on-ones

Why ad-hoc meetings work

• Focused: The meeting is about one specific topic
• Self-contained: No expectation of recurring follow-up
• Documented: Still captured in Topicflow for reference

When to create an ad-hoc meeting If the topic is important enough to document but doesn’t belong in a recurring one-on-one, create an ad-hoc meeting. When to use a recurring meeting instead If you’re discussing:

• Ongoing performance or development
• Regular project updates
• Repeated topics that need continuity

Use a recurring meeting. Don’t create multiple ad-hoc meetings for the same ongoing relationship.

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Converting between types

Ad-hoc to recurring If you create an ad-hoc meeting and realize it should be recurring:

1. Edit the meeting
2. Set a recurrence schedule
3. The meeting becomes recurring, and future instances will follow the schedule

Recurring to ad-hoc If a recurring meeting is no longer needed:

1. Archive the meeting
2. The history remains accessible, but no new meetings are scheduled

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How meeting type affects features

Both recurring and ad-hoc meetings support:

• Agendas
• Notes
• Action items
• Work context from integrations
• AI-generated suggestions

The difference is in continuity:

• Recurring meetings: Action items from one meeting surface in the next
• Ad-hoc meetings: Action items are standalone (not tied to future meetings)

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Best practices

Default to recurring for people management If the meeting is about managing, coaching, or developing someone, make it recurring. Use ad-hoc for projects and special topics If the meeting is about a specific initiative or decision, ad-hoc is fine. Don’t over-schedule recurring meetings Only create recurring meetings if you actually need that cadence. A monthly meeting that rarely happens should be ad-hoc instead. Archive inactive recurring meetings If a recurring meeting hasn’t happened in a month or more, archive it. You can always recreate it later.

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What’s next