I always feel after a day of meetings “wow, finally I have time to work”. And many other professionals feel as well.
However, the Corporate machine keep crushing us with endless infective meetings. I’m not against them – but I really believe that a) we could have fewer and b) more productive meetings!
On the last post (Meetings – a practical alternative to work), I shared the pain of the unspoken disease that affects most of us, a pain shared by HIGH IMPACT PROFESSIONALS but nurtured by bureaucratic, process-oriented organizations: the evil, corroding MEETING! Many HR professionals (and other professionals working at support departments – and even some at front office), many professionals believe that meetings are the biggest deliverable one can have!
Silvia made a great comment on last post and recommended the book “Death by Meeting”, which I got, read and liked to share its highlights:
We came to believe that meetings are inherently bad. Its time consuming, something that should be avoided. But the fact is, bad meetings are a reflection of bad leaders. Meetings lack drama. Which means they are boring. And lack context and purpose. They are a confusing mix of administrative, tactics, strategy and review, all mixed on endless conferences, with little resolution or clarity – this is my personal favorite analysis on the book.
So, as a movie, you should hook your meeting attendee with the most important topics (or conclusions) in the beginning: just like a movie, if it doesn’t start well, audiences lose interest and disengage.
To support it, the author paradoxically suggests four regular meetings:
- Daily Check-in (5-10minutes alignment with the whole team, daily)
- Weekly Tactical (60min max, focused on solving short term issues)
- Monthly Strategic (focusing on debating strategic issues, with one topic, lasting max 120min)
- Quarterly Off-site Review (in deep review of the team, indicators etc)
Quite interesting views… But I also got another good recommendation: “Read this before our next meeting”. Quoting it: “Like wars, meetings should be our last resort” 
The idea goes like this: you should kill all meetings that are either to socialize, share responsibilities, communicate in a better way etc. For the author, there are different things that turn out into meetings:
- conversations: if the purpose is to talk, you can talk directly or send an email, you don’t need a meeting
- group work session: this should be real work, where all attendees work simultaneously. Not a meeting.
- brainstorm: clear goal. Not a meeting.
So, for the author, many people hide behind meetings to not take decisions by themselves (diluting responsibility). Meetings are a way to support decisions. “We must structure a meeting so bold decisions are converted into movement”. It has a strong component of action on it! So for it you have seven principles:
1. Support decisions that has already been made
2. Moves fast and end on schedule
3. Limits the number of attendees
4. Rejects the unprepared
5. Produces committed action plans
6. Refuses the informal
7. Works only along a culture of brainstorming
Not a bad way to treat the subject! I AM PERSONALLY COMMITTED WITH HAVING MORE EFFECTIVE, HIGH IMPACT WORKDAYS! Pls share if you have other tips, I’ll keep sharing what I find 
Best,
What are you looking for?
Better interview techniques? Take a look at this killer method!
Best performance and reward strategy? Stop with Goal Setting!
Setting your company mission? There is an easier way for getting better results!
Setting a meritocratic culture? Here is an easy-to-implement plan!
Can’t find time to work? Kill meetings! (or make it more productive)
A new breed of HR? Goodbye aunties!
