“Let’s schedule a meeting” has become the universal default response to most business issues. Not sure what to do on a project? Let’s schedule a meeting. Have a few ideas to share? Let’s schedule a meeting. Struggling with taking action? Let’s schedule a meeting.
Do You Really Need to Hold That Meeting?
A simple tool to help you decide.
March 20, 2015
Summary.
When an issue pops up, it can be tempting to schedule a meeting right away to deal with it. Although scheduling a meeting can be the right solution, it’s not always the right call and can waste your time and the time of your team. Before you schedule a meeting, ask yourself these questions: Have I thought through this situation? Do I need outside input to make progress? Does moving forward require a real-time conversation? Does this necessitate a face-to-face meeting?
By walking yourself through these steps, you can radically reduce time wasted in meetings and increase the amount of work that gets done.
New!
HBR Learning
Meeting Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Meeting Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to make your meetings matter.
Learn More & See All Courses
New!
HBR Learning
Meeting Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Meeting Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to make your meetings matter.