Meetings Are a Matter of Precious Time

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1  The meeting spills over into its second hour. We are discussing a productivity initiative. At this moment, our most talkative member chimes in, saying that we need some kind of system to reward employees. This is the same solution he offers for every problem at every meeting. Then, another member cuts in and talks for a long time—just to make one point that we are not the proper people to recommend the kinds of changes that we are proposing. I, meanwhile, contribute nothing useful. Finally, the woman who set the meeting calls it quits and tells us we’ll continue next week. We drift back to our offices, wondering how to make up for the wasted time. This meeting occurred many years ago, but similar ones happen at companies everywhere every day.        

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2   Part of the problem at such meetings is that the leader has not set clear objectives or an agenda, and didn’t assign pre-meeting preparation tasks. Instead, the leader seems to hope that magic will occur, producing solutions to the problems. Of course, that doesn’t happen.

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3    The main reason we don’t make meetings more productive is that we don’t value our time properly. The people who call meetings and those who attend them are not thinking about time as their most valuable resource. But time is the most perishablegood in the world. You can’t earn an extra hour to use on a busy day. Nonetheless, we usually have a vague feeling that there is plenty of time—somewhere in the future—so we waste it now and carelessly steal time from our families, friends or ourselves.

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4    I used to be the disengaged participant—one who had good ideas about how to solve a problem, but didn’t contribute. I now take a more active role, aiming to make meetings more effective. Here are three simple principles I use. First, whoever calls a meeting should be explicit about its objectives. This means specifying tangible goals and assigning responsibilities. Second, everyone should think carefully about the costs of a meeting: How many participants are really needed? How long should the meeting last? Finally, after meetings, assign credit or blame to the person in charge. If people have records of leading ineffective meetings, they are not allowed to lead future sessions. 

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5     I know that meetings may serve other functions. Sometimes, they can communicate a solution, make sure that there are no fatalflaws in it and give those who are unhappy with it a chance to voice their dissatisfaction. Other meetings serve a cultural function, allowing participants to renew social connections, establish relationships, and deepen a sense of belonging. So, it’s possible to justify a few of those too-long and apparentlyunproductive meetings by finding hidden payoffs.

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6  But, please, don’t just call a meeting and hope the magic happens. Take charge and take personal responsibility for  meeting its objectives, whatever they are.