Less multitasking in meetings, less meetings

"Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore." - James Clear

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Hi?there,

How was your last week?

I had a couple of surprises: a feature in?Entrepreneur?on my approach to learning through TED Talks. And another article?(in Bulgarian!) about my keynote on why productivity isn't about doing more on?Karieri.bg. Google Translate to the rescue! ??

Speaking of doing more... ever wonder how some people balance a full-time job, side hustle, family, hobbies, and even community work, while others feel buried by office deadlines?

It's not about the hours they have. It's about clarity of their goals.?

If you're ready to reclaim your time next year for what matters to you,?join me for?a?free 60-minute goal-setting workshop. ??

More than 50% of spots are gone - don't wait!?Save your spot now!

Now, let me ask - how often do you find yourself multitasking in meetings? Half-listening while checking emails, drafting slides, or just zoning out?

Here's a quick story.

In 2019, Microsoft Japan experimented with a four-day workweek as part of their?Work-Life Choice Challenge.

The results?

Over 90% of participants said they were happier, both at and outside of work.

And here's the big one:?Meeting time dropped by 50%.

Why am I sharing this?

Because it's about the real reason you're stuck in endless meetings and scramble through your free time to get work done.

Parkinson's Law:?Work expands to fill the time you give it.

the why

Most leaders I coach still default to 30- or 60-minute meeting blocks. It's just how the calendar works, right??

But the more time you allow, the less pressure you feel. The lower effort you put in. The more likely you're to get distracted.

Productivity thrives on three pillars:?Energy,?Focus,?and Time.

When time stretches, energy fades. And when your energy fades, focus wobbles.

Meetings drag on. You zone out. And before you know it, you're?multitasking, half-listening, and wondering why you're even there.

The worst part? So is most of the room.

Next thing you know, someone schedules a follow-up meeting to "clarify" what got missed the first time.?

And that's how you end up drowning in?meetings-about-meetings.

Sound familiar?

the how

One client recently told me multitasking in meetings was their biggest pain point.

Here're the 3 tips I shared:

1/ Cut 60-minute meetings to 45 minutes.

These 15 minutes quiet the bad busy noise in a meeting and give you a breather between calls. (Microsoft research?even shows it lowers your stress levels!)

2/ Try shorter, focused meetings - 5 to 15 minutes for one goal.

Long agendas breed distractions. By the time you get to the important part, you're already multitasking. With laser-focused meetings, you'll keep everyone engaged.

(Quick note: My client said this alone transformed their meetings.)

3/ Set the agenda before you send the invite.

If you can't outline the purpose, the meeting probably isn't needed. A short agenda helps assess the time you actually need, instead of defaulting to 30 or 60 minutes.

Bonus tip:?Take notes by hand. You'll stay present, listen, and engage - trust me, it works.

result

The average employee spends over?170 hours a year in unnecessary meetings.

Cut the multitasking, you'll not only free up time from endless follow-ups but also run meetings that actually work.

your play of the week

Beat multitasking in meetings ???

Next time you schedule a meeting, try one of these:

1/ Cut 60-minute meetings to 45 minutes.

2/ Try shorter, focused meetings - 5 to 15 minutes for one goal.

3/ Set the agenda before you send the invite.

And before you accept the next meeting, forward these tips to a colleague. Together, you can escape the cycle of bad busy meetings.

If you found this edition helpful, forward it to a friend or a colleague who's drowning in reports. And grab The Good Busy Playbooks with my 5-minute video guides.

Thank you for reading?????

Enjoy getting good busy!

See you next Monday,

Kate

P.S. Running out of time for what matters to you at and after work?

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