We are spending too much precious work time attending unproductive meetings. For most leaders and managers, meetings take up at least 20 hours every week; meetings merge into one another, and on it goes. Here are three ways to prevent meeting overload:
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Keep the invitee list to less than seven. Every attendee over seven reduces the likelihood of making a good, quick, executable decision by 10%. So once you hit 16 to 17, your decision effectiveness is basically zero.
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Make most meetings under an hour. Most of us schedule 60-minute meetings by default. Every additional minute generates more cost, so try blocking off shorter amounts of time that can be spent more productively. Can you get through your agenda in 50 minutes instead?
- Use longer meetings sparingly. Create and encourage a new proceedure: any meetings scheduled to be longer than an hour needs further consideration - perhaps even an impact assessment - before scheduling.
The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our acclaimed 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please join us on our next complimentary webinar or contact us.
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