How to have more productive meetings (6 Actions)

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“Excessive meetings are the blight of big companies.” – Elon Musk

Why it works

In an email to Tesla employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Elon Musk (pictured) expressed this strong stance on meetings in large firms, adding that they “almost always get worse over time”. Research supports his claim: one study revealed that professionals spent an average of 14.2 hours per week in meetings as of February 2020. By November 2021, this figure had soared by 50% to 21.5 hours weekly. Even more alarming was the explosion in the number of meetings: weekly averages climbed from 15.1 to 25.6, a staggering 70% increase.

If you think this trend has reversed since the pandemic subsided, think again. A 2023 Microsoft study revealed a staggering statistic: time spent in Microsoft Teams meetings and calls had skyrocketed by 192% compared to 2020 — nearly tripling in just three years. Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft’s general manager for Microsoft 365 and the “future of work,” offers a more nuanced view. She asserts that the issue isn’t meetings themselves but rather “when meetings are long, poorly run, and don’t have a clear purpose that they become a source of stress for employees and their managers”. 

As it turns out, Microsoft’s research identified inefficient meetings as one of the top workplace distractions undermining productivity in 2023. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When run effectively, meetings can accelerate decision-making, help achieve goals faster, improve communication, solve problems efficiently, and ensure action items are being noted and taken care of. Here are 6 actions to take today to have more productive meetings.

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How to do it

1) Require an agenda
Start every meeting with a clear agenda that outlines the purpose, topics, and expected outcomes. This helps keep the discussion focused. It also ensures everyone comes prepared and prevents the meeting from derailing into unrelated issues.

2) Set specific goals
Structure meetings around clear and tangible objectives. It helps avoid unnecessary side topics. Specific goals give everyone a sense of accomplishment when the meeting is over and make it easier to measure its success.

3) Limit meeting duration
Restrict meetings to 30 minutes (or less) whenever possible. Shorter meetings force participants to focus on what’s truly important. This policy respects everyone’s time, creates a culture of efficiency, and reduces the risk of meeting fatigue.

4) End meetings with action items
Conclude every meeting with a quick summary of the next steps and who is responsible. This ensures that meetings lead to concrete outcomes instead of more meetings. It also creates accountability, clarity and a healthy sense of urgency for everyone involved.

5) Encourage declining
Empower your team to decline meetings if they don’t see a clear value in attending. This helps keep meetings efficient and purposeful. It also encourages better time management and creates a culture that values intentionality over attendance.

6) Rotate meeting leaders
Give different team members the responsibility of leading meetings. It helps keep meetings fresh and everyone engaged. It also lets everyone develop their leadership and ownership and introduces diverse perspectives on how meetings are conducted.

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Effective meetings empower your team. Unnecessary ones drain their energy.

Respect your team's time – and watch their productivity soar.

And if you want to reclaim 5 hours per week lost to meetings and email, try Fyxer AI.

Also, please share this post with one person who might benefit from doing the same.

Until next week,
Christian

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