Let's assume your premise is true. What can we do to change this situation? Here are a few things which have helped me
1. Define Key Objectives for a Meeting
2. Define Agenda
3. Agenda has 4 parts - Topic, Owner, Expected Outcome, Duration, Time
4. Owner - The owner of the part of the agenda is expected to own the topic and drive it
5. Owner needs to pre-define the Expected Outcome beforehand. Broadly, there could be three outcomes - Information, Discussion or Decision
6. Moderator should keep a strict check on Time. Sometimes, if there's a overshoot - the moderator should either ask for team agreement to continue the topic for a limited time (10 min - for example) until the Expected Outcome is reached. If not, stop the meeting and move on the the next item on the Agenda.
Yes, all this is a lot of work. But this fruitful work can reduce the total number of meetings to 5-10% of your total work time.
> Yes, all this is a lot of work. But this fruitful work can reduce the total number of meetings to 5-10% of your total work time.
I totally agree, but I'm usually not in a position to change the culture around meetings, nor do I get paid enough to be motivated enough to do it. If I ran my own company, the story would, of course, be different.
> I'm usually not in a position to change the culture around meetings, nor do I get paid enough to be motivated enough to do it.
I can totally understand you can not change culture around meetings in the entire organisation. I would like to offer two perspectives.
First, you could however change the micro-culture in most meetings which you are a participant. For example, "Hey! Thanks for the invite. What are the objectives for the meeting? It will help decide my participation for contribution". Second, if you are not paid enough, it is even the perfect reason todo so. It can buy back more time for yourself by reducing meetings! Overall, you basically do X for yourself and have more control over your work time. So, if you do not want to do it for the organisation - do it for yourself.
> Overall, you basically do X for yourself and have more control over your work time.
The company has control of my work time by definition -- they pay me for my time. How it chooses to use the time I give them is the company's prerogative, not mine. I really don't care one way or another if it's cool with me sifting through Instagram for an hour while someone talks about a bunch of nonsense.
Let's assume your premise is true. What can we do to change this situation? Here are a few things which have helped me
1. Define Key Objectives for a Meeting
2. Define Agenda
3. Agenda has 4 parts - Topic, Owner, Expected Outcome, Duration, Time
4. Owner - The owner of the part of the agenda is expected to own the topic and drive it
5. Owner needs to pre-define the Expected Outcome beforehand. Broadly, there could be three outcomes - Information, Discussion or Decision
6. Moderator should keep a strict check on Time. Sometimes, if there's a overshoot - the moderator should either ask for team agreement to continue the topic for a limited time (10 min - for example) until the Expected Outcome is reached. If not, stop the meeting and move on the the next item on the Agenda.
Yes, all this is a lot of work. But this fruitful work can reduce the total number of meetings to 5-10% of your total work time.