Should We Meet?

Do you look at your schedule and see back-to-back meetings?

If that’s what your days look like, there’s a good chance you’re also getting behind on your work 

But do you really need to be at all those meetings?

Some meetings don’t need you, and some don’t need to exist at all.

A Harvard Business School survey found 65% of managers said meetings prevented them from completing their own work.

71% found their meetings unproductive and inefficient.

64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking.

So, if you find yourself in a recurring meeting that feels like a waste of time, you’re probably right.

Weekly catch-up meetings are a good example. Some people have a lot to say, others very little. Some struggle to get the right information out this way. Why not make this an email catch-up? It’s likely to be much more concise and specific when written down, and everyone avoids being stuck in a long meeting listening to other people’s workload pressures.

Well planned meetings with a clear agenda and the right people attending lead to good outcomes and boost morale. Bad meetings lead to frustration and employee exhaustion.

Your time is valuable and finite. Try to guard it from getting infiltrated by unnecessary meetings.

Written by Jason Connolly