How to reduce time spent in meetings
Problem
How often do you see a colleague late and stressed, jumping from one meeting to another? This stress worsens in the home office. We schedule appointments back-to-back because we do not require travel time. That is true, but we must remember the mental toll this overscheduling can take.
Our brain needs a certain amount of time to switch to a new topic. Usually, during travel time, our minds have a few minutes to change the subject. Without those minutes, it must switch in seconds, leading to attention problems at the beginning of the next meeting.
Another problem is that we often need more time to do our work because we sit in meetings all day. Even if we have a few minutes, we are usually already tired and unable to do our best work. But how do we shorten the time we spend in meetings?
Solution
There are two solutions to reduce time spent in meetings. The first is to participate in fewer meetings. The second option is to decrease meeting length by improving efficiency. I will cover both below.
Do I have to attend the meeting?
Many people accept every meeting invitation and suddenly find themselves in an entire week without free work minutes. But in many cases, our attendance is optional. So, the first step is to stop accepting all appointments right away. Instead, ask yourself: "Do I have to attend this meeting?"
Your attendance is only necessary if you are the only person who can contribute significantly to reaching the meeting goal or if you need to receive the information shared by others firsthand. But be careful; in most meetings, it is enough to read up on the most essential information from the meeting protocol.
If the answer is no, you should decline the meeting and explain your rejection to the organizer.
Suppose you are unsure, or the answer is a clear yes. In that case, you should look at the meeting description and ask yourself the second question:
Does the meeting have a clear goal and agenda?
If the meeting description does not state a clear goal and agenda, respond with Maybe and explain to the organizer that you need a clear goal and agenda to prepare for the meeting to help make it a success.
This step is essential in three ways:
First, the organizer may still need to prepare for the meeting and only have a rough idea of the desired outcome and how to get there. Suppose you ask the organizer to provide a goal and an agenda. In that case, they must prepare for the meeting, which increases efficiency and helps you and all meeting participants.
Second, the organizer could also have prepared for the meeting appropriately but did not include the goal and agenda in the description. By asking the organizer to add these, you and the other participants can better prepare, resulting in a much more efficient meeting.
Third, suppose the organizer sends you the goal and agenda of the meeting. In that case, you can better decide whether to participate (see previous question), and it is easier to explain why if you choose not to participate.
Conclusion
If you apply these two simple questions above, you will drastically reduce your time in meetings. You will have more time, energy, and attention to get things done or for your family and friends.
Implementation
Ask yourself about each existing and new appointment:
Do I have to participate?
No -> Decline and give a reason to the organizer.
Yes or unsure -> Go to the next step.
Is there a clear goal and program for the meeting?
Yes -> Prepare for the meeting.
No -> Answer maybe and ask the organizer to provide a goal and agenda.
No, and you are the meeting's organizer -> Read the next post.
Sources:
No Fail Meetings, Michael Hyatt and Company
Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash
