Cost of poorly organized meetings scaled to $399 billion in the US in 2019.
‘This meeting could have been a mail,’ is often heard in corporate setups.
Companies have no idea how much they indirectly spend (or waste) on redundant meetings. In one of the organizations I had worked for, I earned 61% of my salary just by doing nothing (I have the proof).
Follow these alternatives to get rid of meetings and get things organized and inspire your team towards a common goal.
1. Checklist
Every time you end a discussion, come up with a checklist. It marks your progress. Until the entire checklist is crossed out, never call for a meeting.
Meeting involves abstract talks. Checklist is all about concrete actions. Focus on actions. It yields results.
Create checklists using good software tools. They help you keep organized, and mostly remind you every day.
2. E-Mails
Rather inviting half your department to conduct a brainstorming session in a cramped room that sucks away any creativity left, use emails as an effective tool to stimulate suggestions from your subordinates.
Prepare questionnaires. Create and shoot. Let your team complete and revert. Clarify the ones in doubt over calls that last just 2–5 minutes, and save time.
This email strategy benefits you in the following ways.
- Not many check mails. Even if they do, some don’t revert. You can identify the inattentive folks.
- To express an idea in writing offers more freedom, clarity and detail. Not all your team members can talk amidst a group of ten. Some let their words on a sheet of paper do the talking with better vision.
3. Write. Print. Circulate.
If you’re still adamant about sticking on to lousy meetings, at least refine the method by adopting the famous two-pizza rule of Jeff Bezos.
- Fewer participants (2 or 3).
- Printed memo.
- Start with silence.
- Read. Read. Read (Until you’re clear).
- Then, discuss.
A printed document speaks volumes. Especially when written in a compelling, storytelling narrative.
Also, it’s on the record. On the paper. So, there’s no chance you’ll forget unless you crumple and hurl it down into a bin.
This is a great technique to shrink the duration of a meeting as participants get a fair idea of the event beforehand. A productive meeting lasts for 10–15 minutes.
- Avoid phone calls.
- Restrict meetings.
- Focus on actions.
- More actions.
- And results.
Words can be powerful and enticing. But progress is always measured with actions.
Actions prove words are nothing.
– Anonymous.
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