Avoiding Meetings

We’ve all been there, right? Getting distracted as someone recaps their week or dives into the nitty-gritty of something that they really could sort out between them without half the company present. There is nothing more frustrating than being in one of those never-ending, pointless meetings, especially those long remote ones that go off-track. So how do you get out of them?

Pick Your Battles

All meetings are not created equal, to badly misquote a famous phrase. First off, prioritise those gatherings where real decisions are made. If it's a high-stakes choice between going to the moon or going to Mars, you had best be there. Some meetings also help shape your team's direction, involve giving important feedback (that only you can give!) or are crucial for relationship-building (especially if it’s with clients). But the ‘update’ sessions? Seriously, sometimes an email really does work best—if there’s an actual issue to discuss, only then set up a meeting with a tight agenda.

Make Them Work for It

Meetings are just too easy to set up these days. While it depends on your employer’s policies to some extent, do your best to protect your calendar (you have been blocking out those chunks of time, right?), don’t just click ‘Accept’ to every meeting request, and don’t be afraid to ask some probing questions: What's the topic? When and where? How long? Who else? What's the real reason you need me there? If someone wants you at a meeting, make them think hard before they steal half an hour of your time.

Suggest a Better Way

If you don't want to flat-out say no, then suggest alternatives. Could it be resolved via email or a quick phone call? Yes, the good old traditional phone call—it’s amazing how things get sorted faster over a one-to-one phone conversation (yes, even if the ‘phone’ is Teams or Zoom).

If it's not urgent, try and buy yourself some time. “I'm busy today and tomorrow, but let's talk after my client presentation on Wednesday?” It’s funny how often they'll end up just forgetting, or it’ll turn out their ‘urgent’ matter wasn't really so urgent after all.

Set Out Your Stall

If all else fails and you have to attend, give your colleagues a gentle nudge for next time. Remind them you only have so much time. A simple reminder like, “I'm deep into this working on this proposal, do you think it's worth me coming next time?” can often work, just by putting people on the spot and making them think. They might not even realise they're hogging your time.