Force meetings to become more productive by insisting that every single meeting should have a purpose-statement - e g "Invent options to increase sales in Asia" or "Decide release date from suggested list of options". Agree to decline any meeting lacking purpose-statement. End any meeting as soon as purpose is fulfilled.
In a lot of organisations many meetings are experienced as a waste of time. Meetings contain too many people, and it is hard to decline a meeting because you do not know what you miss.
During meetings there are many discussions that are related to the subject of the meeting. However, it is hard to judge what is essential or what is not. Seemingly irrelevant side-discussions can wind out eternally because it would be inpolite to interrupt. Also, some people just love to take any chance to take up their favourite issue.
Furthermore, meetings always fill up the time alotted for them, and often the alotted time was not enough anyway - the meeting ends with setting up a a new meeting to continue.
All meetings must have a purpose-statement which states the scope of the meeting. It could be "investigate options", "evaluate options", "make a decision (from list of options)".
Any meeting without purpose-statement should be declined by all suggested participants - as they cannot judge whether this meeting is more valuable than other job they have to do.
Participants can be better prepared for meetings.
Participants can decide not to attend and explain why they think they would not contribute in a meeningful manner.
Discussions that are off-the-topic can easily be detected and cut short as they "are interesting but do not strive towards the purpose of this meeting - please set up a separate meeting to take that discussion forward".
Meetings can end before the alotted time is over as the purpose is fulfilled.
The pioneers of adopting "decilne purpose-less meetings" can seem obnoxious. Therefor it is advisable to adopt this policy as a group, e g a sales-team, development-team.
Declining meetings from people "higher in rank" can be a delicate matter. Ensure to inform the manager to which the group reports. If informed beforehand s/he will probably think it is a sensible idea.
Seek recognition within a group that inefficient meetings is a problem. Suggest the decline-purpose-less-meeting policy as an experiment for a limited period of time (e g "next week"). Inform closest manager. Publish your policy, eg to the mailinglist "all".
Ensure to actually decline all meetings lacking purpose-statement.
Lots of people I have worked with througout the years. Too many to be named.
Hello Dan, I enjoy your credits humor : you're right this topic is a long time soaked an frequently re-washed item.
My personal 2 cents input into the public shared washing dry-cleaning tumble is to also convince many that times are not changing.
They DID change indeed.
And you are likely very much into this mode yourself already at Omegapoint when I chack about your personal profile statements.
Gone.Moved to another planet for many more than meet the eyes in the corporate world and blindspots.
When moving to different co-operative modes and tools, meetings literrally fade out and almost disappear. My own experience is tracking a reduction of 85% of the number of meetings I need to call or to join physically, 60% even when including on-line kind of webex and alike.
Time is evolving too : meetings are 50% shorter OR becomes multi-meetings relay days (such as scrums like or even Mixmash up.
So a 2 edges sword : I would recommend to follow your good sense rationalism and discipline reminders AND educate about all existing alternatives organizations and management modes already out there.
OK, so more 5 cents than 2....
this is because of my own passion about collective time and space.
management.
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