HOW TO SURVIVE 8 STRAIGHT HOURS OF MEETINGS
WITH SOME SMART STRATEGIES, YOU CAN STAY SANE AND
PRODUCTIVE, EVEN IF YOU'RE BOOKED SOLID.
Meetings are a fixture of corporate life. A recent survey by Wrike, which
makes online project management tools, found that 50% of professionals have two
to five meetings a week, and 35% have six or more. The higher you go, the more
frequent they become. Case in point: Lorraine Twohill, Google’s senior VP of
global marketing,shared with us that she has 17-20 meetings a day.
Even if you aren't committed to that kind of schedule, you’ll
likely face a scenario at some point where you’ve got eight or more hours of
meetings back to back. If so, here’s how to manage your time and your energy so
you don’t wind up as an incoherent blob by the end.
1. DO AN
ADVANCE TRIAGE
Get in the habit of taking time on Thursday or Friday to look at
your calendar for the next week. Study your meetings. Do any seem unnecessary
in general, or for you? Could they be shortened? Can you send someone else? If
any don’t have a detailed agenda and objective, ask for these. If no one can
produce them, that’s a good reason to postpone or cancel.
IF NO ONE
CAN PRODUCE A DETAILED AGENDA AND OBJECTIVE FOR THE MEETING, THAT’S A GOOD
REASON TO POSTPONE OR CANCEL.
If they can, you can study up to be ready. "If the meeting
starts with a discussion of why you’re meeting, that means people haven’t done
their homework and you’ve already wasted valuable time," says Andrew
Filev, founder and CEO of Wrike. In a mere 20 minutes of triaging, you can buy
back hours. But even if you only buy back one hour on a day with 8 hours of
meetings, that means you get a lunch break. It’s worth doing.
2. GET MOVING
Look at your list of the day’s meetings, and identify any
involving one to two other people, and more casual conversations. Ask to turn
these into walking meetings. Physical
activity adds to your energy levels. If you don’t have any breaks built into
your day, a walking meeting becomes the functional equivalent of one.
3. MAKE THE
MEETINGS STIMULATING
Of course, not all meetings need to be boring. Talking with
people you like about topics you care about is energizing in its own
right. Amy Feirn, a
Houston-based principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP, says, "Every day,
I’m reminded that leadership is about making connections, and meetings are the
best way to do that in a group."
A little laughter and sharing goes a long way. "I like to
kick off meetings with personal anecdotes to help energize each other around
important issues," she says. "This ensures that you help people get
to know each other, not just through the agenda, but by respecting each other,
and creating friendships. We need to respect the agenda, of course, but
what’s different about this approach is that making connections outside of the
agenda—and having some fun—engages an executive throughout the day." You
don’t endure, you enjoy. That mind-set shift can make a lot of difference.
4. MAKE SURE
THE MEETINGS ALL END ON TIME
People will ignore a clock. But most won’t ignore an alarm that
goes off. Many people also need a sign that it’s time to get to the point and
achieve whatever change in the world the meeting was called to achieve. If
you’ve got an hourlong meeting, have your phone or watch beep at :42. That
should get you out the door by :50, so you can walk the halls, stretch, and get
to your next meeting on time.
5. CONSIDER
YOUR FUELING STRATEGY
"I know myself well enough to know that I’m less effective
if I’m hungry or have low blood sugar, so I make sure to schedule breaks long
enough to grab a bite to eat if I need it," says Filev. Decision making
burns energy; bring a few healthy snacks with you so you don’t attack a vending
machine out of desperation. Drinking plenty of fluids is also smart. You stay
alert, and (bonus) the bathroom trips those drinks will necessitate will give
you an excuse to get out of your chair.
6. FOCUS
Jennifer Van Buskirk, president of Cricket Wireless, says,
"I think 12 hours of back-to-back meetings is the record for me," and
any given day can feature five to seven hours. To keep things straight, she
brings an old-fashioned paper notebook: "The simple act of distilling and
writing key pieces of information helps me remember," she says (see "How To Master The Art
Of Taking Better Notes"). Tempting as it is to check email or
edit memos during boring stretches, don’t. "When I’m in a meeting, I limit
multi-tasking and focus on being present—focus helps with memory," she
says. "And I interact—a lot. Asking questions and really engaging with not
only those presenting but those in attendance helps me remember as well."
A good rule of thumb: If you’re able to do something else during a meeting, you
shouldn’t be there.
7. PLAN FOR
FOUND TIME
It’s always possible that a meeting will be canceled or end
early. True time management masters are able to make the most of unexpected
time. Make a list of the top three non-meeting priorities for the day. If a
spot of time opens up, tackle one of those tasks, so you don’t end up with a
late night after all your meetings are done.
8. REVIEW
Take a few minutes at the end of the day (or on your commute,
or at night after the kids
go to bed) to review notes and action items from the day’s meetings.
Figure out when you’ll do them. Because if nothing comes out of eight hours of
meetings, then that’s eight hours that could have been better spent.
BY LAURA VANDERKAM
http://www.fastcompany.com/3053841/hit-the-ground-running/how-to-survive-8-straight-hours-of-meetings?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter&position=5&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=11302015
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