How to Know if a Meeting is a Waste of Time 

Woman talking to another woman

Do you want to know if a meeting is a complete waste of time or not?

Are you looking for some tips to help you better plan and organize a meeting?

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of a meeting is not to waste time, but to get things done.

(Just ask anyone who is familiar with the phrase, “A meeting is an event where the minutes are kept and the hours are lost.”)

So why is it that most meetings do more harm than good?

In this post, you’ll find a few telltale signs to help you identify whether a meeting is a waste of time or not.

Yes, most meetings are poorly run.

But the number one reason meetings are ineffective is that they do not need to be held in the first place!

Is that meeting worth your time?

Be sure to keep the following points in mind.

The meeting does not have a clearly defined goal.

Meetings aren’t about bringing people together in a conference room. They are about bringing people together for a specific purpose. Every meeting you organize should have clearly defined goals.

How can you identify a meeting’s goal or goals? Ask yourself general questions such as: What is the purpose of this meeting? What do we want to accomplish? What decisions do we want to make?

Maybe the goal of your weekly team meeting is to assign tasks and projects to team members. Perhaps the goal of your monthly staff meeting is to review your company’s accomplishments over the past month.

You’ll want to get as clear as possible when it comes to identifying your meeting’s goal.

And what if you can’t clearly describe why it’s important for you to hold a meeting?

You guessed correctly: it’s probably not a good idea to hold the meeting.

The meeting is focused only in the past. 

While reviewing previous meeting decisions, actions, and accomplishments is important, your meeting shouldn’t solely be focused in the past.

The past is the past. It’s done…finished! Why waste precious time fretting over something you can’t change?

It’s much more important to discuss the present and make plans for the future.

What present issues and concerns should be addressed during your meeting?

Jot down a couple of reasons as to why holding this meeting will help you move forward.

How will this meeting help solve future projects or issues?

The goal of the meeting can be reached via other methods.  

Do you want to hold a meeting just because it seems like the right thing to do?

There are many ways to reach your goals without actually holding a meeting.

A few moments of careful thought and consideration is all it takes.

When deciding whether or not to hold a meeting, ask yourself questions like, “Can this goal be reached through some other method?” Or “How can I effectively communicate information to individuals?”

Let’s say you need to make a brief, non-urgent announcement at the office. Is it really necessary to assemble people into an hour-long meeting for this update? The announcement may be better handled via email, voice message, or text message.

Think twice before scheduling a meeting. You’ll save yourself (and potential meeting attendees) a lot of time and effort.

How about you? How do you know if a meeting is a waste of time or if it’s not even important to hold the meeting in the first place? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!

5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook Mockup
About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This