Optimizing Meeting Times

Most meetings suck - suck time, energy, and productivity. I know I'm not alone in being over the endless meeting workday. For startups (or anyone building), time is the most precious resource. If you're always meeting, when do you have time to actually build the thing? It's time to challenge the status quo and reimagine our meeting culture. And not just because it’s a driving culprit behind Sunday Scaries! Here's why: 💸 A Doodle study found pointless meetings cost U.S. businesses $399 billion in 2019. How much runway are you burning in conference rooms? 📆 Atlassian reports employees spend 31 hours monthly in unproductive meetings. That's four workdays lost! 😨 Harvard Business Review research shows 65% of senior managers say meetings keep them from completing work. In startups, that's innovation suicide. ⏱️ According to Korn Ferry, 71% of professionals lose time weekly due to unnecessary meetings. Can you afford this when racing for product-market fit? 😴 Atlassian's survey revealed 91% of employees daydream during meetings, 39% have fallen asleep. How can you disrupt markets with a snoozing team? 👀 Doodle found only 50% of meeting time is spent engaging with content. Would you accept this from your code? It's time for a radical shift. Here are some ideas we’ve been kicking around: ⏳ Implement a "Meeting Budget": Allocate a fixed amount of time for meetings each week. Once it's gone, it's gone. This forces prioritization and efficiency. 🍕 "Two-Pizza Rule": If two pizzas can't feed the group, the meeting's too large. Smaller groups tend to be more focused and decisive. 💻 Smarter Async Communication: Use tools to determine what needs real-time interaction. If a topic requires more than 6 Slack exchanges, it might be time for a quick sync. 🙅🏻♀️ "No-Meeting Days": Designate specific days for deep work, free from interruptions. This can significantly boost productivity and creative output. 📋 Use POP Agenda: This is a game-changer for meeting efficiency. Here's how it works: - Purpose: Clearly state why you're meeting. Is it for decision-making, brainstorming, or alignment? - Outcomes: Define 2-3 specific results you need by the end of the meeting. - Process: Outline how you'll use the time to achieve those outcomes. POP keeps everyone focused and gives permission to redirect when discussions stray. It works for everything from quick check-ins to marathon brainstorming sessions. (One of my favorite frameworks I’ve ever used!) Let's stop sucking the life out of our organizations with needless meetings. The future of innovation depends on it. How has your team cut meeting fat and started sprinting faster?

You know how new nonprofit Executive Directors are always advised to look for and implement early wins? Which are sometimes hard to find. Here’s a ready-made one just for you. Start with your team’s calendar. Do you have 10 hours of meetings scheduled next week? You can free up 2.5 hours, no new funding needed, just by cutting 15 minutes from the traditional hour-long time slot. If your team averages 10 hours of meetings a week, trimming each one by just 15 minutes saves 2.5 hours for each person in the meeting. Every week. Think about that. Every person in that meeting gets back 10 hours each month. Imagine what you could do with that time: • Strengthen relationships with key partners • Go for a walk • Call supporters • Chat with the people you serve • Take a moment to slow down and think deeply about one issue • Have lunch with friend/family Instead of defaulting to one-hour meetings, make them 45 minutes. You won’t miss those 15 minutes if you: 1. Keep the agenda focused and doable in the timeframe. 2. Stick to a hard stop. Always end on time. 3. End with decisions. Meetings should lead to action, not more meetings. That’s it. An early win that shows you value impact over busy. And the people doing the work.

We've all been there—calendar packed, back-to-back meetings, and by the end of the day, you wonder: "Did I really get anything done today?" It's a modern-day dilemma that can sap the energy of even the most focused professionals. Here’s how I tackle it: ⚡ **Guard your prime time**: Block off your most productive hours each day for deep, uninterrupted work. Meetings can wait. 🛠️ **Create an 'Urgent vs. Important' matrix**: Before you accept a meeting, ask: Is this mission-critical, or could it be addressed another way? Prioritize time for high-value activities that align with your goals. 💬 **Shorten your meetings**: Instead of defaulting to an hour, aim for 15-30 minutes and stay laser-focused on the agenda. ⛔ **Say no (gracefully)**: You don’t have to be in every conversation. Set boundaries. If your presence isn’t crucial, politely decline. 💡 **Leverage async tools**: If a quick update suffices, use email, Teams, or a shared document. Not every discussion requires a live meeting. 📅 **Set specific meeting days**: Designate a couple of days for calls and free the rest for execution time. 📈 **Hold 'walking meetings'**: Got a catch-up or status update? Take it on the go. It’ll boost your energy and creativity. 👥 **Bundle similar meetings together**: Consolidate team meetings, 1:1s, and quick syncs into one focused block. 📝 **Have a clear agenda and outcome**: Every meeting should have a purpose. If not, reconsider whether it’s necessary. Keep your focus on where it really matters. Meetings shouldn’t prevent you from doing what you’re best at: making an impact! How do YOU ensure meetings don’t consume your day? #ProductivityHacks #MeetingManagement #FocusTime #TimeManagement #Efficiency #LeadershipTips #WorkSmarter #SalesSuccess #ProductiveMindset

Do you spend too much time in meetings and want to do something about it? Of course you do. Challenge yourself and your colleagues to audit your calendars. The only thing you have to lose, is a s*** load of pointless meetings (57% of our days spent in them and reading/writing emails). Ask yourself the following: • Does the meeting have clear agenda/objectives • Is my role clear • Is it within my working hours • Am I a contributor, decision maker, expert? • Will I be impacted by the outcome? • Will reviewing the action items be sufficient? If the answers to any of the above is no, then it is time to: • Decline the invite • Query whether you are needed • Suggest whether it could be an email perhaps • Ask for an updated agenda • Ask to be sent the actions after the meeting The more that participate in the audit the better: if a 10,000 person organisation removes just 10% of meetings and the average person has 6x45 min meetings per day, then they will save an estimated 22,500 hours/2,812 days; which is equivalent to hiring 12 full time employees. Say the average salary is £50K, this would be a saving of £598,297.87 worth of value for the organisation. Each individual will save 528.75 hours / 14 days per year / 4.8 work weeks worth of effort. Think what you could do with that time.

🚀 Mastering Meetings: Lessons from Top Executives 🌟 Meetings are at the heart of leadership, but are we making the most of them? 🤔 Research shows that 71% of senior executives find meetings unproductive, and the average professional spends 31 hours/month in ineffective meetings. That's a lot of wasted time and energy! 🕒 This chart on meeting strategies from industry icons like Elon Musk and Sheryl Sandberg reveals game-changing tips leaders can adopt to drive efficiency and results. Here’s what YOU can learn: 🔑 Preparation is Power Elon Musk reminds us that thorough preparation ensures high standards and efficiency. Come ready to tackle follow-up questions and avoid wasting time. 👥 Small Teams, Big Impact Steve Jobs believed in limiting meeting attendees to essential contributors only. This fosters simplicity and boosts productivity. ⚡ Decide Swiftly Larry Page encourages immediate decision-making—no waiting for unnecessary meetings. Empower someone to lead decision-making if needed. 📈 Set a Clear Agenda Sheryl Sandberg's strict agenda strategy (and ending early if completed) keeps meetings focused and concise. Only 37% of meetings use agendas, yet doing so can cut meeting time by up to 80%! 🎯 🗣️ Engage & Listen Ben Horowitz’s one-on-one meeting approach builds trust and encourages upward communication. Employees feel valued when their voices are heard. 💡 Focus on Action Summarize meetings with follow-ups and deadlines, as Alfred Sloan did. Clear accountability = better execution! ✅ We set the tone for how meetings are run. When structured effectively, meetings can be a powerful tool for alignment, innovation, and decision-making. Let’s make every meeting matter! 💼✨ How do you ensure productive meetings in your organization? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #Meetingculture #Leadership #Mindset #AI #DataManagement

Meetings are broken. 13 unconventional ideas to fix them: 93% of workers have complaints about their meetings. And even 71% of senior leaders say meetings are unproductive. The old ideas aren't working. We need more radical ones: 1) Ban them ↳Typically, meetings are the default - they happen and often ↳Flip it so they're taboo (not a full ban, but close), and only occur when truly justified 2) Restrict them ↳Assign days (like Monday and Friday) and times (before 10, after 3) when they're forbidden ↳The harder they are to schedule, the more people will question the necessity 3) Try email first ↳We've all heard "that meeting could have been an email" - so try it ↳Before sending a meeting invite, email participants the relevant info, and ensure everyone agrees a meeting is necessary 4) "No agenda, no attenda" ↳If there isn't a clear agenda with key decisions sent at least 24 hours before, the meeting is cancelled ↳Meetings without clear plans prevent preparation and ultimately take longer 5) Start at odd times ↳Never start a meeting at :00 or :30 - people will have something until RIGHT before and inevitably be late ↳Start at 9:07 a.m. or 1:33 p.m. to grab attention and ensure punctuality 6) Display a cost per minute ↳Calculate the hourly rate of all attendees and display the running cost of the meeting in real time ↳It reminds people that meetings don't cost an hour, they cost an hour TIMES the number of people TIMES their hourly rate 7) Ban phones ↳Removing phones and computers removes multitasking, and ensures everyone is fully present ↳It also requires people to come prepared, knowing they can't lean on notes 8) Remove chairs ↳Standing meetings encourage brevity and focus - and are better for everyone's health 9) Have a timer ↳Like a presidential debate or an Oscars award speech, each person gets a short amount of time and then gets cut off ↳No exceptions - have an audible timer 10) Use a 10-word rule ↳Everyone must start their turn by summarizing their key point in 10 words or less ↳Leading with the headline is comms 101, and it forces people to be clearer and more concise 11) Brainstorm silently ↳If new information or questions arise, allow 1 minute of silent brainstorming ↳This lets people clarify their thinking, avoids groupthink, and empowers introverted participants 12) Forbid follow-ups ↳All key takeaways and next steps must be captured in the meeting, agreed upon, and shared instantly ↳No "I'll send out the action items afterward" or "we'll have a follow-up meeting next week" 13) Reexamine the need ↳End the meeting by asking everyone whether it actually needed to happen and everyone needed to be there ↳Use those takeaways to further cut future meetings and limit group size The vast majority of workers think meetings need to change. You might not use all of these, But give some a try to start turning things around. Any others you'd add? --- ♻️ Repost to help fix more meetings. And follow me George Stern for more

Long meetings don't equal strong leadership. Great leaders get to the point. There's nothing worse than sitting in a meeting and thinking, "This could have been an email." We place a lot of emphasis on leaders protecting their time, but meetings affect your team just as much. If every meeting leaves people feeling frustrated, confused and dreading the next one, that's the fastest track to an unorganized team. As a leader, you need to look out for these signs: → You meet just because it's on the calendar. → You turn every small issue into a meeting. → No one remembers what was decided. → People show up without prepping. → Time's wasted just on updates. → One-on-ones feel like a box to tick. → You end without clear actions or ownership. → You have to chase people to follow through. → You hold back important updates until the next call. Everyone's time is important. I've even scheduled meetings that last 20 minutes for that purpose. (Even if it does raise eyebrows!) If you're not fully ready to make that leap, here are some tips to make your meetings more effective: 1. Make sure your meetings move things forward ↳ Start with shared intent. ↳ End with clear ownership of tasks. 2. Making your one-on-ones effective ↳ Have a space where both people add their thoughts.  ↳ Whenever you meet, make the next steps clear. 3. How to actually follow up ↳ Review shared notes before doing the work. ↳ Complete commitments without needing reminders. 4. Choose the right format for the meeting ↳ Use updates for information sharing. ↳ Avoid scheduling meetings without a clear purpose. We didn't build businesses to spend our lives in back-to-back Zooms. When you make meetings work for your team, they feel it and show up with ideas and energy. More than anything, they'll trust you to protect their time and do the work that really moves the needle. I'd love to hear from y'all. How do you keep your meetings effective? ________________ ♻️ Repost to pass this along to folks who'd appreciate it! ➕ If you like what I share, go ahead and follow Lise Kuecker!

Microsoft data says that hybrid workers are spending 50% of their week in meetings. So how could we reduce this time? The experience of Asana and Shopify is worth exploring in detail. At Asana they were asked to identity meetings that lacked value. They were told to remove standing meetings with fewer than five people for a 2 day experiment Result: most meetings shrunk in length down to 15 minutes. Some weekly meetings became monthly. There was an average saving of 11 hours a month. The firm also introduced a 'No Meeting Wednesday'. They also introduced a simple tool - to measure meetings via two axes: the impact of the meeting (out of 3) and the effort taken with prep and follow-up (again out of 3). Meetings that were a lot of work but had little impact were also eliminated by teams. Slack also has a no meeting 'Focus Friday' and Maker Weeks when all meetings are cancelled to get projects done. These weeklong hiatuses serve as a provocation: ;This break in regularly scheduled meetings encourages teams to reevaluate their calendars and ask, did we really need that meeting at all?' https://lnkd.in/eeKCV_f8 Loved the article - have you tried anything similar?

A recent study reveals that 72% of workers find meetings ineffective, leading to overtime, burnout, and reduced productivity. We can do better. Here are five research-backed strategies to help your team make your meetings more valuable: Cluster meetings to create focus blocks for deep work. Utilize async video for status updates and information sharing. Share ideas via documents before meetings to facilitate informed discussions. Default to 15-minute meetings instead of 30-minute blocks. Encourage leaders to set the tone by sharing agendas and limiting the number of meetings https://lnkd.in/exufVUri

Meetings are essential for collaboration, but they can often feel like a drain on time and energy. Over the years, I’ve discovered some effective strategies to make meetings not only bearable but productive and energizing. Here are a few insights beyond the basics that have made a significant impact: ➡ Utilize tools like shared digital agendas, real-time collaborative documents, and meeting timers. This keeps everyone on the same page and enhances real-time contributions. ➡ To keep things fresh and inclusive, rotate the role of the meeting facilitator. This empowers team members and brings diverse perspectives to how meetings are run. ➡ Send out a brief the day before with key points and objectives. This helps participants come prepared with ideas and questions, ensuring a more dynamic discussion. ➡ Use visual aids like charts, graphs, and slides to summarize discussions and decisions. Visuals can help in retaining information and keeping everyone aligned. ➡ For larger meetings, utilize breakout rooms for smaller group discussions. This can increase participation and lead to more in-depth conversations. P.S. What innovative approaches have you tried to enhance your meetings? Share your experiences and tips! ♻️ Share this to help others recognize their potential for a career in project management. ➕ Follow me for more insightful #projectmanagement content.