This is why it's important to talk about what to do in them. Bad managers make them status updates and talk about projects. Good ones get into feedback, coaching, fixing problems, growth and development, etc.

Coincidentally, this is why I started a company, GetLighthouse.com to tackle this and the general problem of bad people management practices. It's amazing what a little structure, best practices, and automating can do to improve things for a manager and their team.