You can often predict which meetings will be unproductive from the moment you receive the invitation. There’s the “team update” where you spend two hours listening to a rundown of how everyone spent their week, or the “planning meeting” where you hash out picayune details that should have been handled elsewhere, or the “brainstorming session” where extroverts shout out random ideas.
How to Get Out of a Meeting You Know Will Waste Your Time
Without offending anyone.
January 03, 2018
Summary.
You can often predict which meetings will be unproductive from the moment you receive the invitation. But how can you dodge them? One approach is to suggest a minimally invasive compromise. A meeting will almost certainly take an hour or more of your time, so see if the other party would be willing to update you over email, or if a short phone call to get your input might suffice. Another approach is to make the meeting requestor aware that your time is a zero-sum game. Sometimes, even well-meaning people forget that your time isn’t infinite, so a tactful reminder can snap them back to reality and help them understand the consequences of their wanton meeting invitations.
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How to make your meetings matter.
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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.