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1/ How to have fewer meetings:
2/ Never have a meeting just to share information. Do that by chat, email, video message ( @loom), audio ( @yac) or pigeon.
Even better: write it somewhere centrally (e.g. @NotionHQ) and just link to that.
"FYI [link here]"
Even better: write it somewhere centrally (e.g. @NotionHQ) and just link to that.
"FYI [link here]"
3/ Never start a new recurring meeting.
Only do recurring meetings if you see week after week that you need to have a meeting.
Make a point to reevaluate the need for that recurring meeting on a recurring basis.
Only do recurring meetings if you see week after week that you need to have a meeting.
Make a point to reevaluate the need for that recurring meeting on a recurring basis.
4/ Keep your meetings to max 25 minutes and aim to end early.
The 5 minutes are buffer in case you have another meeting after.
The 5 minutes are buffer in case you have another meeting after.
5/ Always have an agenda for a meeting, and require everyone to contribute to it, in advance.
If nothing in the agenda a few minutes before, cancel it!
"Hi folks, I see nothing on the agenda, so I'm cancelling the meeting"
If nothing in the agenda a few minutes before, cancel it!
"Hi folks, I see nothing on the agenda, so I'm cancelling the meeting"
6/ Have a template to refuse meetings with external people, so you can easily say "no". For example:
"We're super busy at @remote, so I prefer to do this async. Happy to setup a meeting if we feel the need after exchanging a few messages."
"We're super busy at @remote, so I prefer to do this async. Happy to setup a meeting if we feel the need after exchanging a few messages."
7/ Make it a goal to remove existing meetings. Everyone will love that. Next meeting you have, add a point to the agenda:
"How can we get rid of this meeting?"
Do that until the meeting is gone.
"How can we get rid of this meeting?"
Do that until the meeting is gone.
8/ Replace meetings with experiments:
Try to do async video.
Try async audio.
Try emailing each other.
Try doing a Slack standup.
etc.
You can always go back to having a meeting, but you won't know whether the alternative works until you've tried it.
Try to do async video.
Try async audio.
Try emailing each other.
Try doing a Slack standup.
etc.
You can always go back to having a meeting, but you won't know whether the alternative works until you've tried it.
9/ Block time off to do deep work/other things and never allow meetings to happen there.
Google calendar's OOO function works well for this, as it auto-rejects any events during this time.
Google calendar's OOO function works well for this, as it auto-rejects any events during this time.
What is the meeting you just can't get rid of?
Another one, from @RemoteJeremy:
avoid agenda-less "coffee chats" that are actually work conversations.
Make dedicated time to have a structured conversation (with an agenda), or set time aside for an unstructured coffee chat to relax and socialize.
avoid agenda-less "coffee chats" that are actually work conversations.
Make dedicated time to have a structured conversation (with an agenda), or set time aside for an unstructured coffee chat to relax and socialize.
