5 ways to reduce time spent in meetings
Time spent in unnecessary meetings has become a growing problem for many, especially managers. The rise of hybrid meetings has made it even easier to add participants without them needing to show up physically. As a result, many people find themselves in meetings that aren’t always relevant.
If you feel that you’re wasting too much of your work hours in meetings, keep reading.
Here are five effective ways to reduce the time you spend in meetings and make them more productive.
1 Default to opting out
When you get a meeting invitation, your default thinking should be *not* to attend unless necessary. It’s not necessary to actually decline, but imagine you are doing that every time a meeting invitation comes into your calendar. Then, your next question to yourself should be: “Should I opt back in?”
Ask yourself a few key questions to decide whether it is worth accepting the meeting:
- Is it sufficient to get the meeting minutes afterward?
- Do I have a specific role or responsibility in this meeting?
- What happens if I do not attend?
If you do not have a clear role in this meeting, and/or it is sufficient for you to just get the meeting minutes after, you should hit the decline button on the meeting invitation. Be very strict about this so that it becomes a habit.
2 Stick to 45-Minute Meetings
Your default meeting time should be 45 minutes. Anything longer should have a solid reason behind it. If you’re invited to a longer meeting, suggest shortening it. Sticking to a 45-minute window forces everyone to stay focused and on track, which leads to more efficient use of time. When you’ve gotten used to this, it’s likely you’ll experience that even just 30 minutes will be enough for most meetings.
One way to keep the meeting time down is by better preparations. Many meetings end up wasting time going through PowerPoint presentations or documents that attendees could easily read on their own. A smart solution is to incorporate this into the meeting process. Let participants know they are expected to spend the first part of the meeting reviewing the materials on their own. This approach saves time and focuses the discussion on what really matters.
3 Be critical about who should attend
If you’re the meeting organizer, be selective about who really needs to be in the room. Think critically about who needs to participate and who just needs a briefing afterward. This keeps meetings lean and allows participants to focus on what matters, without filling the room with unnecessary attendees.
Consider a maximum attendee limit for meetings you attend, such as five or six people. This keeps the meeting smaller and more focused, which leads to quicker decisions. With fewer participants, the conversation stays on track, and the need for long explanations or discussions is reduced.
4 Always have a clear agenda
By insisting on a clear agenda before agreeing to attend, you force the meeting organizer to evaluate whether the meeting is necessary. If you are the organizer, make sure you have a clear agenda in all your meetings. A clear agenda ensures that the meeting has a real purpose.
Without one, there’s a risk that the meeting is being held "just because," rather than out of necessity. Not having an agenda may even be a sign that the meeting isn't needed at all. This can result in time being wasted on unfocused conversations or discussions that could easily be handled via email or a brief update. And if this is the case, suggest that the meeting is cancelled and participants are briefed properly through other channels, if relevant. This advice also goes for when you yourself is the meeting organizer.
You could also add an extra step in the agenda: state clearly what participants should expect from the meeting and what outcomes (or action points) should result from it.
5 Meeting preparations is key
Always send out the necessary documents in advance. Along with the agenda, make sure to provide any relevant materials for review. This gives participants the chance to prepare, which can significantly reduce the time spent going over details that could be reviewed individually. This can easily be a part of the assigned meeting time, where the first certain time of the meeting is silent, giving the participants the chance to go through the documents on their own. This way, you can also make sure that everyone has gone through the necessary preparations. Once everyone is on the same page, the rest of the meeting can be spent solely on discussion and decision-making.
Why does meeting culture matter in office space planning?
Why is a company focused on office space planning talking about reducing time spent in meetings? Because meeting culture and meeting space are closely related. When making changes to your office meeting rooms, it’s a great time to rethink how your team spends time in meetings. And, more importantly, reducing the time and frequency of meetings will reduce the need for meeting space, making it a powerful combination to become a more productive and efficient organization, and save money. A bonus: your organization will also become much more sustainable by better matching meeting needs with the physical meeting space.
The office space is a reminder of the cultural change
When making changes to the physical workspace, it’s an ideal time to address company culture as well—especially meeting culture. Physical changes are highly visible to everyone in the organization, making them a great symbol of broader shifts. It’s essential to clearly communicate what these physical changes represent and ensure that employees are on board with the new approach. Along with changes to the physical space, providing tools and support will help employees transition to the new meeting culture smoothly.
It’s also worth noting that many companies face a big mismatch between their meeting spaces and their actual needs. While the majority of meetings have four or fewer participants, the average meeting room is built for nine people. By redesigning your meeting spaces to better reflect actual use, you can improve both the space and the effectiveness of your meetings.
5 effective ways to reduce your time in meetings, summarized
Here are the five effective rules to reduce your time spent in meetings, summarized:
Default to opting out
Stick to a maximum of 45 minutes
Be critical about who should attend and the total amount of participants
Always demand a clear agenda
Expect meeting documents in advance
Are you looking at changes in your meeting culture?
If you’re looking at changes in your organization’s meeting culture, consider combining this with a change in the physical meeting space as well. The combination is powerful and will give much larger benefits than each change on their own.
Book a free project consultation meeting to discuss whether this can be relevant for your organization.