From Boredom to BurnoutThe Toll of Endless Meetings

What is the impact of not taking control of your Meetings.

According to a research conducted by Atlassian, meetings are the second biggest source of wasted time in the workplace. On average, a manager attends 62 meetings in a month, but only half of these meetings are considered productive. As a result, employees waste an average of 31 hours every month in unproductive meetings.

According to the same Atlassian research, the statistics regarding meetings are quite revealing. An astonishing 91% of people daydreamed during meetings, with 96% of people having missed a meeting at some point. The numbers don't stop there, with 39% of people having even fallen asleep during a meeting.

This overwhelming number of meetings is taking a toll on employees, with 45% feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of meetings they attend. To make matters worse, 73% of people admitted to doing other work during meetings, and 47% complained that meetings were the #1 time-waster at the office.

So, what can you do about it? The answer is simple: If you go to a meeting, make it count.

Step #1: How to decide what meeting to attend?

Ensure that you are contributing to the meeting and taking something from it. If you don't need to prepare or debrief, it may be best to not attend the meeting in the first place and save your time for something more productive.

"If you don’t need to prepare and don’t need to debrief, don’t go!" Philippe Masson - Time Master 2019

Attending a meeting can be a valuable use of your time, but only if it serves a purpose. If you don't need to prepare for the meeting or don't expect to have any tasks to complete after it, there's no point in attending. This approach can help you save time, avoid unnecessary stress, and focus on the things that matter most.

By only attending meetings that are necessary for you, you can focus your time and energy on the things that matter most. You will be able to contribute more effectively to the discussions, be more focused during the meeting, and feel less stressed both before and after the meeting. This is a win-win situation because you are using your time wisely and making the most of each meeting.

Attending a meeting simply for the sake of being there can be a waste of time and energy. It can lead to feeling disengaged and unproductive, which can affect your overall work performance. By only attending meetings that require preparation or debrief, you are able to focus your time and attention on what truly matters. Not only will you save time by avoiding unnecessary meetings, but you will also improve the quality of the meetings you do attend. When you are well prepared, you are able to contribute effectively and participate fully in the discussion. Similarly, taking the time to debrief after a meeting ensures that you understand your responsibilities and can move forward with the tasks at hand.

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Ultimately, attending a meeting should have a purpose. By being mindful of why you are attending a meeting and what you hope to gain from it, you can make more informed decisions about which meetings to attend and how to best prepare for them.

Step #2: How to make the meeting count?

Once you have committed to attending a meeting, it is important to make the most of it. The key to maximizing the benefit of a meeting lies in preparation, focus, and follow-up. Here are the steps to help you make the most of your meetings:?

1. Preparation Time: Before the meeting, take time to prepare for it. The amount of time and level of detail will depend on the contribution you are expected to make. Preparation will help you feel more confident and ready to contribute, and you may even start looking forward to the meeting.
2. Meeting Time: Make sure that a clear agenda has been agreed upon before the meeting, with clear objectives and deliverables. During the meeting, focus on what is being said and be prepared to commit. Capture all actions and tasks discussed.
3. Debrief Time: After the meeting, take time to reflect on what was discussed and agreed upon. Identify all the tasks associated with the meeting and define the duration, deadline, and plan the task in your calendar. By pre-booking debrief time, you will be able to commit to doing the work.?
4. Pre-Book Time (Optional): If you anticipate needing to do some work after the meeting, pre-book time to do it. This is particularly relevant for salespeople who need to send a business proposal, software developers who need to modify the latest version of a software, project managers who need to organize the next steps, etc.

By following this methodology, you will experience less stress before the meeting, better contribution during the meeting, a more focused approach to what is being said, the ability to commit during the meeting, and less stress after the meeting. Make your meetings count!