That Meeting Could Have Been an Email

So, the other day, I was in the car with my daughter, and she hopped on a call with her boss and the team. She immediately hit that mute button to escape the background noise. The call started right on time, but so did the eye rolls!

In about 5 minutes, she turned to me, sighed, and said, "This is going to be such a waste of time!" So, I asked her for more details, and she went on about how the whole meeting could've been handled with a quick email.

Sound familiar? Meetings like these happen way too often in the business world.

Let's be honest – many meetings are just time drains. They can zap all your energy and throw off your entire workday.

John Kenneth Galbraith hit the nail on the head when he said, "Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything."

‍

‍

But why do leaders keep dragging us into these meetings? Well, part of the problem is the ego. Some leaders can't resist being in control, leading to much micromanaging. They think, "How can I trust my team if I'm not constantly checking in with them?"

This control-freak mentality often means leaders schedule meetings without thinking about their team's needs or schedules whenever they feel like it. And let's not forget those leaders who love the sound of their voice – they'd rather talk than listen.

‍

‍

Then there's the idea that everyone needs to be super-connected. But, in reality, we're drowning in information overload. So, instead of getting work done, we're stuck in endless PowerPoint presentations.

Meetings should be about productive discussions, but too often, they're just about paralysis by analysis. The real cost of all these meetings is the impact on us – less work getting done, longer hours, and loads of frustration.

‍

‍

We've all been in meetings that follow that "honest meeting agenda" – people showing up late, tech issues, and nobody knows what's happening. It's a total time-suck, and you can't get that time back.

Leaders, if you want your teams to be productive, here are 12 simple rules to follow:

1. Send an email or chat if it's just an update or FYI.
2. If you need feedback on a document, do it via email, not in a meeting.
3. Check with your team 24 hours before a call. If there's not much to discuss, skip the meeting.
4. If you need help explaining the purpose of the meeting, figure it out before scheduling.
5. If the key people can't make it, reschedule.
6. Create an ownership matrix to determine who must be in the meeting.
7. Empower your team to cancel meetings if they're not necessary.
8. Know who's responsible for what before scheduling a meeting.
9. Make sure everyone has the info they need before the meeting.
10. If urgent, use quick communication tools like Teams or Slack first.
11. Figure out if you need a discussion or deliverables and plan accordingly.
12. Save brainstorming for when you need it.

So, help your teams stay focused and cut down on the meetings.

They'll appreciate it, and their productivity will thank you!