Are you tired of attending endless meetings that seem to drag on forever without any real purpose? It’s not just you; research studies have shown that meetings are a huge waste of time.
A recent survey found that the average person attends 31 unproductive meetings every month, and 46 % nearly spend four hours per week.
Meetings are an integral part of doing business as they help us coordinate our efforts, make decisions, and move projects forward. However, meetings often have a dark side: they occupy our time and reduce our productivity at work.
Thus, avoiding meetings that are not effective is one of the best ways to increase productivity at work. Don’t attend some of the worst meetings, which don’t result in productive results and cause burnout, stress, and anxiety.
You cannot skip all meetings, but you can avoid those that waste your time. So, to simplify things, we’ve put together a complete guide on how to avoid meetings at work.
Why is Meeting a Waste of Time?
“Meetings are toxic.”― David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
Most people see meetings as a necessity – a necessary part of doing business, but one that often wastes time and doesn’t produce tangible results. According to studies, unproductive meetings cost more than $37 billion annually.
Average people spend four hours per week in meetings, so it’s understandable that so many people consider them ineffective. Businesses lose a lot of money due to these activities because they consume precious time that could be used more productively.
Despite the benefits, there is no denying that meetings are time-consuming. There are several reasons why excessive meetings cause people to waste time.
- First, they often involve many people who are not necessary for the discussion. Many hours can be wasted on small talk and catching everyone up.
- Second, meetings are often poorly planned and lack a clear purpose. This can lead to a lot of time being wasted debating irrelevant topics.
- Getting everyone on track can be challenging. With so many people in the room, it’s hard to focus on the task.
- People view meetings as an opportunity to catch up on email or do other work rather than paying attention to what’s being discussed. This is a waste of time.
- They are frequently interrupted by technology problems, such as audio and video, which can cause frustration and disrupt meetings.
Our hectic lives today make it easy to feel like we can’t manage anything that isn’t essential. And for many people, meetings fall into the “non-essential” category. After all, meetings can be a huge time-suck, preventing you from completing your work.
But the truth is, meetings don’t have to be a waste of time, and managing a productive meeting is the key to saving time in daily life.
List of Less Important Meetings at the Office
Meetings are an essential part of the workplace today – allowing team members to connect, build relationships, and remain up-to-date on projects and company initiatives.
However, some team meetings are unproductive; some are wastes of time and money. Here is a list of less important team meetings you can probably skip without consequences.
1. Departmental Meetings that Don’t Concern You
There are some meetings that you can skip without serious consequences. If you are not a member of the department, then you are not required to attend departmental meetings.
These meetings are intended to discuss department-specific business goals. Moreover, these meetings can often be lengthy, so feel free to use the time for other activities.
2. Staff Meetings that are Mostly for Updates
A staff meeting is where most of the time is spent on updates from different departments, and this type of meeting does not allow for much discussion or collaboration.
When staff meetings are mostly for updates, it’s generally a total waste of time. You can summarize these types of meetings in an email or memo, so you don’t have to spend time and money to conduct them.
3. Strategy Meetings that don’t Involve You
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a strategy meeting that doesn’t involve you.
In this meeting, the CEO, engineering managers, sales managers, and a few other senior executives sit around a table and discuss the company’s direction for the next year. The decisions made in these meetings don’t involve you or your team.
It’s a waste of time, and you will not be able to contribute anything. No one will value your contribution if you’re not part of the decision-making process. So save yourself the hassle and don’t attend these meetings.
4. One-on-one Meetings that Could be Handled Via Email
One to One meetings are not always necessary. In some cases, they can be handled via email. If the purpose of the meeting is to relay information that could be easily communicated in an email, make a request to replace one-on-one meetings with emails.
5. Weekly Status Meetings
Status meetings are a part of everyday life in the workplace. They are often long, tedious, and interruptive, and they can also be a time-consuming process for everyone involved.
Given the amount of time that status meetings consume, it’s important to ensure they are productive and add value. Unfortunately, many status meetings are not, and attending these meetings is not a good idea if you cannot remain productive for an extended period.
How to Avoid Meetings at Work?
Meetings are boring because they’re long, unproductive, and take us away from more important tasks. What can you do to avoid bad meetings?
Several things can be done to ensure your meetings are effective and avoid the pitfalls that often make them a waste of time.
Here are a few tips for declining meetings at work.
1. Use Email and Team Communication App
Email and team communication apps are great tools to avoid unnecessary calls or meetings. We can use email and team communication apps to handle most of our on-site and remote team communication. This way, we can prevent the need for face-to-face meetings as much as possible.
But by using email and team communication apps, we can minimize the number of meetings we have to attend. Next time you plan a meeting, consider using email or a team communication app instead. Taking unnecessary meetings can save you time and effort.
2. Say NO to Unnecessary Meetings
Even though regular team meetings are important, sometimes they can be a hindrance rather than a help. Some employers may need to decline meetings to avoid scheduling conflicts and to allow them to focus on their work.
Simply ask yourself these two questions if you’re uncertain about attending a meeting.
- Does this meeting have an agenda?
- Would I be able to contribute to it?
The decision to decline meetings is perfectly fine if you aren’t interested and cannot add value to it.
3. Let Everyone Know your Schedule in Advance
Maintaining contact with colleagues, business partners, and friends can be difficult in today’s busy world. And when you do finally manage to schedule a meeting, there’s always the possibility that something will come up and you will have to cancel.
One way to stop the meeting dilemma is to let everyone know your schedule in advance. By sharing your plan with others, they can easily see when you’re free and request a meeting during one of those times.
4. Set Up Meetings Only When Necessary
No one can deny that meetings can be a big time waster.
Employers or management should identify if the issue could be resolved via email or another type of communication. If so, then there’s no need for a meeting.
In addition, consider if all the employees who need to be involved in the discussion can attend the meeting. Otherwise, you might think of another way to handle the situation.
Only setting up meetings when they are necessary, saves time and headaches for the team.
5. Keep Meetings Short and to the Point
“The longer the meeting, the less is accomplished.” —Tim Cook
Management and employers should have a clear meeting agenda template. They need to make sure only those who need to attend are there. Also, everyone must be prepared and ready to contribute.
It allows employees to stay focused and on track, as there is less opportunity for tangents and side conversations. So that decisions can be made more quickly and efficiently, as there is less time for discussion and debate.
Finally, it can help to create a more positive and productive meeting environment, as shorter meetings are often more energetic and focused.
6. Suggest Having a Meeting on a Free Day
One way is to suggest having a meeting on a day when you are free. It is considered rude when you strongly recommend having a meeting on a day with no plans. Also, it means suggesting a time that is not convenient for everyone, making it less likely that people will attend.
There might be a possibility that this puts them in an uncomfortable position and increases the likelihood that they will refuse to meet with you.
7. Don’t feel Guilty about Leaving a Meeting Midway
“Whenever you are in a boring meeting, you should leave ” – Elon Musk
There’s no need to feel guilty about leaving a meeting that’s not relevant to you. If you realize midway through that the discussion isn’t relevant to your work or interests, it’s perfectly fine to step out.
You don’t need to stay glued to your seat just because you were the one who joined the meeting in the first place. It’s often better to leave early and free up your time for more productive pursuits.
8. Avoid Recurring Meetings
Recurring meetings are one of the things we love to schedule on the calendar. We feel satisfied for the moment that we are on top of things. But do they work?
Consider taking a step back and reevaluating how you use your time if you find yourself in too many recurring meetings.
For example, if you had a meeting from 1 -2 pm, and then another recurring meeting at 3 pm. Chances are that you won’t be super productive from 2-3 pm. If you find that most of your meetings are repeats of the same topics, it might be time to break the cycle and try something new.
9. Don’t Fall for No Meeting Workday
No meeting workday typically means dedicating one day a week where no one is allowed to schedule any meetings.
If you’re considering introducing no-meeting workdays, which is a good sign because you’re acknowledging the need to reduce meetings at work.
Conclusion
The importance of meetings cannot be overstated since they offer employees opportunities, but there must be a limit to how many meetings must be attended.
In conclusion, it is best to avoid some of the meetings at work. They are a waste of time and do not often lead to productive outcomes. If you must have to attend a meeting, limit the time and number of attendees and stick to the agenda for every meeting. Also, try having fewer meetings when people are less likely to be tired or distracted to make effective meeting decisions.
You can look at the above tips to reduce meetings at work. Effective meeting management will improve productivity.