How to avoid unnecessary meetings

More and more frequent meetings are just a waste of time. Remedies: never have generic meetings, and never last longer than half an hour. And be punctual.

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Wasted time meetings

HOW TO AVOID UNNECESSARY MEETINGS

We are increasingly overwhelmed by wasted time with pointless meetings. Before Covid-19, the vast majority of meetings were in-person, then came the call document remotely, with various platforms offering them. And the waste of pointless meetings has multiplied. But it can be reduced, for example by avoiding meetings that are too generic, called at the last minute, or too long (the time limit is half an hour). Furthermore, pointless meetings are those called by a boss simply to show off their power, or when objectives are missing and post-meeting actions are not agreed upon.

WORK MEETINGS AND WASTE OF TIME

According to data collected by Microsoft for the new edition of the Work Trend Index, since 2020 the weekly average of time spent on teams For work meetings, the infamous calls, has increased by 252 percent. Meetings have grown by 153 percent in absolute terms. And workers' performance has also decreased because their working hours have increased, without always being recognized for overtime. As a result of this bulimia of meetings smart workingOvertime work increased by 28 percent, and weekend work by 15 percent.

COMPANY MEETINGS

On the other hand, the taboo of corporate meetings and their real usefulness is deeply rooted and hard to break. Everywhere. In America, it is estimated 11 million business meetings per day, which doubled with those from a distance. Different countries…

CORPORATE MEETINGS UNITED STATES

In America, companies are reducing the waste of time in business meetings primarily by using common sense. At Ford, for example, the meeting time has been reduced from five to a single day per month. General Electric shows, with figures in hand, how much you could save by giving up river meetings in the company. And at the Japanese Toyota the meetings are now held upright, without excessive formalities, to get things done faster and to better focus on the day's objectives. In fact, the lack of comfort automatically forces you to speed up the process. Many companies offer only 5 minutes of meetings every morning (time for a coffee) for quick updates on dozens of projects.

COMPANY MEETINGS FRANCE

It's clear that the French have a penchant for dirigism, while in Italy these types of agreements are made bottom-up, within companies, without always involving the government and unions. But let's delve deeper into the substance of a commitment signed in France by industrial and financial giants like BNP Paris, Carrefour, and Michelin. And the substance tells us that a significant awareness is growing, closely tied to the reduction of waste (in this case, of time and work): our private life is sacred. Always and in any case. And it doesn't necessarily mean that workers are more productive by flooding their professional lives with meetings and emails . On the contrary. The opposite can happen: by filling one's professional life with meetings and emails, without breathing air into one's private spaces, stress, tension, and fears increase. And therefore, one produces less and worse.

SAVE TIME IN WORK MEETINGS

And in Italy? Here too, there's a war against pointless office meetings that waste energy and concentration. Informal meetings in specially dedicated spaces are now preferred. Or video conferences , which are quick, also for technical reasons. More and more meetings are being held via video chat , rather than in person, thanks to Skype and other more advanced communication systems. Forward-looking companies must seize the benefits of new technologies and develop organizational and time-optimization plans to make work meetings more effective and productive.

EMAIL MANAGEMENT IN THE OFFICE

Consider that, according to calculations by several international management consulting firms, a simple employee is forced to spend at least 20 hours a week managing email. We all work with email these days, and it has changed our professional lives for the better, reducing costs (i.e., phone calls) and improving communication (especially internationally). But how much of our work-related emails are actually useful? Statistics say: no more than 10 percent.

HOW TO MAKE MEETINGS USEFUL

It's the same with meetings, which are essential for exchanging ideas, issuing orders, and organizing company life: but when are they really necessary? And speaking of meetings, to avoid wasting time, remember a few golden rules. For example, punctuality ( waiting for others is stressful and a waste of time) and, above all, canceling meetings that are too generic. Those that, ultimately, only create hot air.

WASTED TIME MEETINGS

A huge waste of time . And also of energy and human resources. The bad habit of holding meeting after meeting, often pointless , is rampant in companies . According to statistics, approximately 15 percent of these meetings are pointless, producing no useful results for either the company or the employees . Not only that, but those who attend are highly distracted. On average, 22 percent of managers who are among those who meet in the office write three text messages or emails during these meetings.

meetings wasted time office saving hours 2

READ MORE: Business meetings, the pointless waste of time that detracts from your private life and work

HOW LONG SHOULD A MEETING LAST?

To be productive, a work meeting shouldn't last long. This also helps avoid disrupting the entire day. So how long should it last? If it's a routine meeting, or one related to a specific topic, it shouldn't last long. never exceed half an hourIf, however, you're discussing broader issues, perhaps with regular deadlines—think of meetings to define the year's budget—the meeting can last up to an hour. But no more.

OTHER USEFUL TIPS TO AVOID WASTING TIME:

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