Meeting Overload?

A common theme amongst my coaching clients is the back-to-back meetings via Teams or Zoom, and the effect it has on them. Exhausting, endless, no time to breathe or action anything, pointless, lack of engagement, depressing etc are just some of the labels used to describe how they feel about them. There seems to be an inability to control the situation.

There are solutions and I encourage my clients to explore pre-pandemic principles:

• Do you schedule your open diary appropriately?

• Do you plan time for actions?

• Do you block time out of diary for you, rather than give everyone carte blanche to utilise your time?

• What is the purpose of the meeting?

• Where is the agenda and objectives?

• Is it necessary that all those invited to attend or is it a nice to have?

• Is there a fear of missing out if you do not attend?

• Will you be judged by your colleagues? ‘Does it matter?’ would be my response.

If you are not going to actively participate or achieve anything, then question the request for your presence - notes of the call etc can always be sent to you later.

It might be an idea to train your team and other meeting organisers to instead of issuing blanket invites, issue optional ones, i.e. it is not necessary that you attend but you are welcome to do so and may find the content interesting. Do not be afraid to decline meetings if they are not appropriate and encourage your teams and colleagues to do the same.

Finally, in group meetings there is a phenomenon known as ‘pluralistic ignorance’ when people mistakenly believe that other parties have a different opinion than their own. For example, a group may comply with a view they do not agree with because they are under an illusion that that the other participants agree with it – resulting in no conclusion and inaction. Challenge the status quo is my advice, be true to yourself and do not be afraid to speak out.

Recognise that time is a limited and precious commodity - it is up to you to take control!