101: Making better use of meeting time
The memes don’t lie: American professionals think the work week is full of too many wasted meetings. With the benefit of fast communication aided by ever-improving technology, the modern workplace seems to struggle with how to fit conventional conference room-style meetings into the schedule. Harvard Business Review cited research in 2022 showing 92% of employees consider meetings costly and unproductive. If you’re a manager who schedules meetings, this has to give you pause. But don’t consider this a call to banish all meetings from the calendar. Take stock and consider how meeting time can be reworked for your benefit and the people you manage.
Cut status meetings. If you’ve been holding weekly check-ins with your team, it may be hard to consider changing that routine. But such recurring events may only be occasionally productive, and keeping everyone informed is probably just as easily done on a channel such as Slack or Teams, suggests Harvard Business Review. Pilot a scheduled messaging system and poll your department on whether this is the right alternative to an in-person meeting, after a few weeks.
Cancel plans. Canceled work plans often create an instant mood boost. A found hour on the calendar gives everyone room to breathe. Instead of a rigid approach, try giving yourself and others a break and make it acceptable to cancel meetings when you suspect they may not be necessary – provided you’re considerate. CNBC contributor Gary Burnison warns last-minute cancellations can backfire, especially if you’re meeting with busy executives who may miss last-minute notifications. Review your plans a day ahead and update accordingly.
Vet the guest list. Once you’re sure a meeting is required to discuss the topic at hand, make sure to invite only people who need to be there, or consider making the meeting optional for those who aren’t essential to the discussion. In a 2023 article, McKinsey & Co. advised defining roles for participants – whether advisors, decision-makers, or executors, for example – so everyone knows why they were in the meeting and what their next steps are.
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