Permission to Shorten Meetings - Granted
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
Meetings…I know very few working professionals who do not feel overwhelmed by meetings. I can’t tell you how many client calendars I’ve seen that are nothing but back-to-back meetings. There are a couple of thoughts and stories that have helped me to make meetings a less overwhelming part of my life.
First of all, evites are not subpoenas. Just because you are invited to an event, you do not have to say yes to it. If you don’t think you would have something to contribute or you’re not interested in the meeting’s topic, then no is always an option.
If you have meetings you need to attend, then shorter meetings are another option. Ed Mylett is a successful human being I’ve referenced a few times on this blog. One day he realized that other people don’t value your energy and time when you don’t, so he decided to start valuing his time. As a result, he says he now has a lot of 15-minute (not the 30- or 60-minute timeframes that most default to) meetings on his calendar.
Back when I worked in finance, I would sometimes need to converse with the people I supported if I had numerous questions for them, and I knew it would take less time for me and them if I just met with them quickly. So I would put maybe 10 minutes on their calendar, have my questions listed, and go into the meeting quickly asking each item and noting the answers. I often didn’t even need the 10 minutes because I came in prepared so I could value my and their time.
If meetings are a bane of your existence, take a look at your calendar and see if there are meetings you can eliminate and shorten. If you don’t value your time, no one will.
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Sincerely Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team