Have Fewer, Better Meetings at Work

What’s the Latest Development?

Three business insiders offer their insights into creating more effective corporate meetings, which partly entails calling fewer of them. Firstly, they say, only call meetings when a decision needs to be made. “The list should include both big one-off decisions, such as major investments, and more-routine decisions that add up to significant value over time.” And keep everyone from coming to meetings. Only those directly involved with the decision should attend. 

What’s the Big Idea?

The business insiders say that not everyone will be happy to go to fewer meetings as some people gauge their connectedness in a business by how many meetings they are called to. “To smooth the transition to fewer meetings, it helps to convey the idea that everybody will soon be attending fewer meetings—and that the remaining meetings will be more productive than in the past.” Openly asking at the beginning of the meeting if everyone who is there really needs to be there is a good way to start reducing meeting over-attendance.