Death by Meetings – When Meetings Become the Work

Meetings are supposed to help us get work done. But what happens when we spend so much time in meetings that the meetings actually become the work?

In this episode of the Business Coach Unplugged Podcast, Tom Kelly explores the growing problem of meeting overload and why it has become much more than a time-management issue. He shares the story of an executive whose calendar revealed that 92% of his 40-hour workweek was being spent in meetings. When meetings, email and preparation were combined, the workload being generated was estimated at 195% of his available capacity.

At that point, telling someone to “manage their time better” misses the real problem.

Tom explains how organizations can unintentionally create a culture where meetings become the default solution for communication, decision-making, problem-solving and accountability. The result is a workforce that spends more and more time talking about the work while having less time to actually do it.

But the answer isn’t simply to eliminate meetings. The right meeting can solve a complicated problem, resolve conflict, create alignment or move an important decision forward. The goal is to make sure every meeting earns the time and attention it requires.

In this episode, Tom shares practical strategies leaders can use to rethink their meeting culture, including how to determine whether a meeting is actually necessary, who really needs to be in the room, how to create clearer outcomes, when to shorten or eliminate recurring meetings, and how leaders can give their people permission to protect their time.

Most importantly, Tom challenges leaders to ask one simple question before putting another meeting on the calendar:

What will be different when this meeting is over?

If your calendar is packed with recurring meetings, or your team feels like there is never enough time to get the real work done, this episode will give you practical tools to create more space for the work that matters.

Listen to Episode 26: Death by Meetings – When Meetings Become the Work.

Learn more about us at www.businesscoachchicago.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:02 — 25.1MB) | Embed

Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | RSS