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Supermarket Meeting: The Secret to Cutting Down Useless Meetings
Meetings. Whoever you are, I’m sure this word brings an emotional response.
Maybe you see them as a way to reach agreement, maybe you hate them with a passion, maybe you view them as a necessary evil. Maybe you even see them as a welcome break in your workday, maybe you think your reports see them like a welcome break.
Over the years, I’ve experienced meetings across the entire spectrum of quality, usefulness, and engagement. Some of my career bests have happened in meetings, and so have some of my worst moments.
The main rule I’ve developed for meetings is simple: When you’re there, be present.
That means no browsing, no Slack, no coding while the meeting lasts. If the meeting is bad, you have three options: actively make it better, call it out, or just leave. But when I’m there, I want to use the time as effectively as possible.
The Supermarket Over the Specialized Shop
When I plan my week or day, I want meetings to use the time they’re scheduled for — not more, not less. I dislike going overtime just as much as I dislike when the host suddenly ‘gives me 20 minutes back.’ On the same note, it’s annoying to receive a cancellation email for lack of topics just an hour before the…
