Most Meetings Waste Time-5 proven ways to ensure yours won't!
I Love Meetings and So Should You
Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, "That could have been an email" or "What a waste of time"?
If so, you're not alone.
But it’s not the meetings that are the problem it’s the people running and attending the meetings.
Meetings are one of the most overlooked tools for professional success, and yet, most people have never been trained to design and execute a meeting that leads to getting ‘stuff’ done.
The reality is, knowing how to design and execute a successful meeting is a game-changer.
It gives you credibility, influence, and control over how you're perceived.
Instead of meetings feeling like time-wasters, they can become your secret weapon to getting things done and getting noticed.
The Problem with Meetings Today
- 11 million meetings take place every day in the U.S., and 50% are deemed unproductive.
- Companies waste an estimated $37 billion a year on bad meetings.
- 9 out of 10 people admit to daydreaming during meetings.
- Over 75% of people have never received formal training on how to conduct a successful meeting.
People assume meetings are just something they have to endure, but when done right, they can set you apart from your peers.
The key is to stop treating meetings as obligations and start using them as strategic opportunities.
Why This Matters for Your Career
Think about how many meetings you sit through—or lead—each week.
Manager, project, boss, team, training, customer, vendors and even those dreaded accidental meetings where someone knocks on your door or stops you in the lunchroom with the ‘do you just have a minute’.
If every one of those meetings is an opportunity to establish your credibility, imagine how quickly you can position yourself as someone who gets things done.
When you learn how to run a meeting that is focused, productive, and strategic, you interrupt the usual expectation that meetings are a waste of time.
People listen.
They engage.
They walk away impressed, and most importantly, they act on what was discussed.
That’s how you stand out.
Plus, meetings can be used to build a culture of accountability to each other. To be on time, be prepared, value each others time and more.
The Meeting Success Formula
Want to transform your meetings from time-wasters into powerful career tools? Here’s a simple formula:
- Have a clear goal – Have a goal one you can achieve or just say ‘no’ to the meeting please. If the goal is too big to achieve in one meeting you need to break it down. If you don’t achieve your goal in the meeting your meeting didn’t work and you need to look at how you can do better.
- Invite the right people – Think of them as guests: who do you need to invite to achieve your goal. Do you need a decision maker, subject matter expert or perhaps a cheerleader? Don’t just hit invite all or you will always be dragging people to your meetings.
- Follow a strategy – Strategy first and meeting second. Plan your meeting like a roadmap, leading step-by-step to a ‘yes.’ Step into the perspective of your ‘guests’ what will they need to know, understand or see in order for you to get to your ‘yes’.
- Use a parking lot – Use the parking lot to ‘park’ off topic items and this is the best tool to keep Bossy Bruce or Sidetrack Sally from taking over your meetings.
- End with clear next steps – Do a recap to ensure everyone is on the same page and assign actions with specific deadlines so results happen, if you require a second meeting book it here.
As I said at the start meetings are not the problem it’s the people running the meetings that cause the problems because they haven’t been trained.
Meetings are inevitable they are how we communicate in business.
But knowing how to run them effectively?
That’s your competitive advantage. If you want to be seen as a leader—someone who is respected, listened to, and taken seriously—then start mastering the art of the meeting.
Your next step?
The next time you lead or attend a meeting, try implementing even one of these strategies and watch the difference it makes. Want to know more? Let’s talk.
I believe in you!
Tammy