Meetings don’t always need to last as long as they’re schedule to last.
But somehow, almost every meeting I have ever attended has lasted the full scheduled duration. A lot of that is due to meeting creep – discussion points stretching out to fill available time.
In the short run, this isn’t so bad; but if you multiply it by dozens of meetings over dozens of years, the benefit of efficient meetings really adds up.
The things you can do to prevent meeting creep depend a lot on whether you’re leading or attending the meeting.
If you’re leading:
- Schedule the meeting for a shorter duration, but ask for attendees to block off time after the meeting. “The meeting goes from 6-7, but please reserve 7-8 for a group social hour or in case the meeting runs long.”
- Be ruthless in moving through your agenda.
- Give specific duration estimates for your agenda items, ideally that add up to less than the duration of the meeting.
- In your meeting call-to-order, set your intentions for ending early.
- Only have the people in the meeting who need to be there. If you need a sub-group, postpone that and meet separately.
If you’re attending
- “Call the question” – say, I think we’ve heard enough to answer this question.
- Be prepared with reviewing the agenda ahead of time, so that you can help lead the conversation.
- Have a place to be right after a meeting, so that you are motivated to finish efficiently…and let your colleagues know.
I don’t think there are many things we can do to express respect for colleagues that are as impactful as showing respect for their time. Particularly in volunteer organizations, when time is at a premium, and everyone’s life is busy, the minimization of meeting creep is a worthy goal.