This note is a plea to everyone in a business setting to kill the “meeting”-snake. Think of what you do on a typical day: meetings, more meetings, even more meetings, more boring meetings, and then end with a meeting. Question is: when do you actually do the work?
The modern workplace is optimally organised to prevent you from … working.
Meetings are like snakes in a business… they crawl into business, killing work and everything related to it.
It’s tough to get rid of them though, because they provide platforms for alignment, reflection, and discussion. But unfortunately they also make all of us complacent -if the meeting doesn’t happen, then the work doesn’t happen. That shouldn’t be the case.
On top of that, think of the time you’ve wasted in the past in sitting in meetings where you were thinking “what the hell am I doing here”, “when will this be over”, “when will this guy stop talking”, or where you have been texting and BBM-ing more than you’ve been actively present.
As a consequence, you HAVE TO do a lot of work pre- or after hours. How ridiculous is that?
So, try the following:
1- Cut the number of meetings you go to in half! Ask yourself the question of the value of the meeting you are setting up or you are invited to… is it necessary? will you add value? can it be done differently (e.g. a short phone call)?
2- Cut your meeting times in half! Find times to be more efficient. That starts with a clear cut objective (WHY this meeting), and a sharp and focused agenda (HOW this meeting), with the right people in the room (WHO this meeting). Keep time, and stop when you the set time is over -just walk out!
3- Stick to your own agenda! Work out the work needed for the week to follow, block certain hours for yourself to crack important stuff, plan “discretionary time” for non-planned things (that come around organically), and plot your meetings as put in 1) and 2)
If you achieve that, then you’ve killed the snake! You just freed up 50% of your time to do work, go home earlier, and have a life…
Comments?
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This atrilce keeps it real, no doubt.
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