Breaking Meeting Marathons to Optimize Time

Recently I attended two types of meetings on the same day, that were night and day from each other.

The first was a 30-minute reoccurring meeting around tactical aspects that were very important to be completed. The facilitator was clearly in charge, working through the agenda, answering and asking questions, gaining clarification, and ensuring the topics were covered.

The second was a last-minute meeting called together on a concept (an important one) that could have a long-term positive impact in multiple areas of the organization. The organizer did not create a schedule, there was no goal, and it became a free-for-all of ideas and agendas. You could sense at the end of the time there was a collective, “How do I get this 60-minutes back of my life?”

Unfortunately, too many meetings look like the second example and not the first. We are all in so many meetings in life that I included two scenarios for participants to answer with the Time Management Analysis (TMA) assessment.

• I am on time for every meeting I attend. (You mind your schedule so well you to not disrupt meetings because you are running late.)
• I am prepared for meetings. (Either when you lead a meeting or are a participant, you know the goals and are ready to contribute.)

For those who have taken the TMA, 25% have a hard time being on time to meetings that they have agreed to attend. However, only 32% affirm that they are organized and ready for the meetings they will be present at. Given these statistics, it is no wonder business get-togethers can feel like a continuous marathon of never-ending time where no one crosses the finish line.

To help break the “I’ve been in meetings all day” lament, here are some opportunities for you to take ownership and train yourself to end the endless times you find yourself in sessions that get you nowhere.

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Implement Meeting-Free Days

Even marathoners require a break. Whether self-imposed or company directed, designate specific days or time blocks as meeting-free zones. This creates uninterrupted time for focused work and helps prevent meeting creep. Companies like Asana and Facebook have successfully implemented “No Meeting Wednesdays,” reporting increased productivity and employee satisfaction.

Establish Clear Meeting Guidelines

Start by holding yourself accountable to establish an agenda for each meeting. Try and keep the meeting as short as possible to stay focused. Provide clear documentation and enforce the goals that need to be achieved. Define what you will deliver and then what others need to deliver for the time to be successful. Training for a marathon requires creating constant guidelines that will require adaptation and adjustment.

Audit Existing Recurring Meetings

Many athletes look back to understanding how to train better and perform higher in the future. The same applies to you and the meetings you participate in or create. The best place to start is frequently to question if the meeting should occur in the first place. If you affirm, then challenge the frequency. If so, then confirm the number of participants. Honor their time by releasing them if they don’t need to be there.

Extending Beyond You

While a marathon runner is designed to be an individual pursuit, there are elements of training and planning that involve others. Once you have addressed your meeting issues, then be mindful about where you can help yourself by helping others. This is not done by becoming a self-proclaimed coach, proactively looking to “help” others, when they might feel they don’t need or want your help.

Let your actions speak louder than words. Make sure your meetings are defined, focused and productive. By running strong and steady, others will notice and may want to “train with you.”

Managers typically spend around 13 hours per week in meetings, which represents approximately 35% of their work week. This meeting time is significantly higher than individual contributors, who spend about 9 hours per week at meetings, but lower than executives who spend around 11 hours weekly.

First challenge yourself, then work to be an example for others, then gently challenge norms and behaviors. Do this, and you’ll stop running in place and end the marathon of unproductive time.

David Buck is the author of the book The Time-Optimized Life, coauthor of The Retirement Collective, and owner of Kairos (Time) Management Solutions, LLC. Learn how to apply the concepts of proactively planning and using your time. Take the Time Management Analysis (TMA), the Retirement Time Analysis (RTA), or all the other free resources offered to help bring more quality time into your life.

Get more resources to improve your use of time.

Kairos (Time) Management Solutions

Time Management Analysis (TMA)

The Time-Optimized Life (Download Chapter 1 for FREE)

Work-Life Balance Time Management (WLB)

Procrastination Time Management Analysis (PTA)

Distraction Time Management Analysis (DTA)

Retirement Time Management Analysis (RTA)

Retirement Worry Analysis (RWA) - A Worry-Free Retirement

Calendar Time Management Analysis (CTA)

Salesperson Assessment Profile (SPAP)

Leadership Assessment Tool (LAT)