How many times have you sat down in a meeting only to hash out something which could have easily been addressed via email or to realize not everyone who is needed is actually in attendance? Is there anything more infuriating at work than having your time wasted by colleagues who seem to schedule meetings just to fill up their days? Shouldn’t meeting etiquette be a required part of college curriculums?!
As an app developer specializing in the areas of productivity, we don’t want people simply scheduling meetings all willy nilly, just to make use of our app. We want people scheduling effective meetings that have an agenda and a purpose. So here is a checklist of when we think it’s a good time to stop and not pencil that meeting in your calendar so quickly.
Don’t schedule a meeting if….
- You haven’t done your homework. Nothing is more frustrating than coming to a meeting and realizing the meeting owner is unprepared.
- You are just looking to get random feedback from people. If it’s feedback and not a dialogue you’re looking for, just send an email.
- You can’t get everyone together at the same time. Better to wait an extra couple of days than to gather only half of the relevant stakeholders only to have to congregate them all again.
- You are disorganized and lazy. Asking 6 people to come to a meeting to update you on things you can easily find in your inbox, or company communication tool is wrong and a bit rude
- Don’t have a specific agenda! (Always remember Rule #1)
If you’re looking to stand out in your company, schedule fewer but more effective meetings. Your popularity is bound to skyrocket as your colleagues realize you value their time and don’t abuse their calendars with silly unproductive meetings!
