Comments on: Still Too Many Meetings http://beatyourowndrum.com/career/2006/07/still-too-many-meetings.html Surviving and Thriving (At Work and At Home) Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:13:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: NimrodSonOfCush http://beatyourowndrum.com/career/2006/07/still-too-many-meetings.html#comment-81799 NimrodSonOfCush Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:15:00 +0000 http://beatyourowndrum.com/career/2006/07/still-too-many-meetings.html#comment-81799 Very interesting observation. As I have struggled with the same thing for the past few years, I've recently adopted some new techniques to keep meetings to less than an hour. This only works with meetings that I host, not with ones that my boss hosts, but for the most part, it has saved me a lot of time.<br/><br/>First, I am NOT afraid to bring people back on point. It is mandatory. People now know that if you go off topic, I will bring you back. If you want to discuss some other topic, schedule a meeting with someone else!<br/><br/>Second, a meeting ends a the specified time, whether there is resolution or not! It puts pressure on people to make their point and move on. If the time has expired and the mission is not accomplished, then the meeting sponsor is free to schedule another meeting in another week or two when everyone is available again.<br/><br/>Third, if you really want something done, you schedule an informal hallway meeting with decision makers and try to get everything explained there. Then when the formal meeting happens, it is just that: a formality. Very interesting observation. As I have struggled with the same thing for the past few years, I’ve recently adopted some new techniques to keep meetings to less than an hour. This only works with meetings that I host, not with ones that my boss hosts, but for the most part, it has saved me a lot of time.

First, I am NOT afraid to bring people back on point. It is mandatory. People now know that if you go off topic, I will bring you back. If you want to discuss some other topic, schedule a meeting with someone else!

Second, a meeting ends a the specified time, whether there is resolution or not! It puts pressure on people to make their point and move on. If the time has expired and the mission is not accomplished, then the meeting sponsor is free to schedule another meeting in another week or two when everyone is available again.

Third, if you really want something done, you schedule an informal hallway meeting with decision makers and try to get everything explained there. Then when the formal meeting happens, it is just that: a formality.

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