Here is the question we are all asking ourselves daily now that our calendars are littered with them – do we need this meeting.
Worse – when we leave the meeting and have the answer – “we didn’t need that meeting”.
Here is how I’m trying to break up my meeting schedule these days to get back the time to do work;
- Is there a problem/goal in mind that we are trying to solve? Yes, then we need it.
- Are you on point? If this is a status meeting (sometimes you can’t get out of them), is the meeting staying on track or diverging along other lines.
- What is your role to play in the meeting? Do you have one? Are you valuable to the meeting? It’s okay to realize that you are not critical to this meeting and decline the invite.
- What decisions do you need to come from this meeting? Are they happening? If not what’s the value you’re creating.
Meetings are about value, if none is being created, you have other work to do so the question to you and your team – “Do we need this meeting?”
