Let’s talk about the global challenge of back-to-back meetings. In many (dare I say most) companies, back-to-back meetings have become part of the time culture. The last three years of remote work have exacerbated the problem exponentially. How does anyone get any work done? What is the impact on productivity?
One recent workshop attendee described it best: Being in meetings, literally one right after the other, leaves her no time to think, bleary-eyed from being on the screen and so wound up by the end of the day she can barely fall asleep at night. Microsoft did a fascinating study of the impact of back-to-back meetings on our brains. It’s not pretty.
Ironically, back-to-back meetings leave absolutely NO time for the prep and follow-up associated with those very meetings. So, workers need to use their evenings and weekends to get any work done. That is why I call this time culture phenomenon “productivity insanity”.
But she (like the rest of the participants in the session) feels powerless to do anything about it because the company culture suggests it's a badge of honor to always be invited and present at meetings. What can anyone do if they're not in the C-suite to take back control of time?
We don’t have as much control as we’d like, but we actually have more control than we think. Here are some steps you can take to tame the meeting madness and create some much-needed breathing space in your calendar.
Speak Up
If you are suffering from back-to-back meetings, I can assure you, so is everybody else. But everyone's afraid to speak up, so it turns into a little bit of "The Emperor Has No Clothes” situation, where you can see the problem, but no one wants to be the first person to say anything. Simply acknowledging that everyone is stressed by the back-to-back meetings may give you the little bit of courage needed to start taking control where you can.
Start with Small Wins
Start small. Identify one or two meetings where you have a friendly meeting planner who's really committed to productivity and effectiveness. Reach out, not in the meeting, but separately. Say, “We have this weekly four-hour meeting and we have so much to cover. I’ve noticed it's very hard for people to sustain their attention, so folks end up distracted on their phones, or standing up and leaving the room for a few minutes. Perhaps we could make a little adjustment to keep us focused. What if we break the meeting up into 50-minute cycles; 50 minutes of meeting, 10-minute break, 50 minutes of meeting, 10-minute break?” A small but concrete suggestion with a productivity ally could solve this problem for at least one or two of your regular meetings a week.
Build in Buffers
Look at the rest of your meetings and see if you can shorten meeting length times to build in buffers. We’ve all gotten into the habit of automatically calling meetings on the hour or half-hour; 30, 60, 90 minutes. But of course, that leaves no transition time between meetings. Propose 20, 40, or 80-minute meetings, to build in buffers. Those reduced times tend to make for more focused meetings—inspiring meeting planners and attendees to clearly define the goal of each meeting, and come in prepared. Speak up on a case-by-case basis to meetings you are invited to and plan yours so that everyone has some space and time in between.
Shifting the time culture of back-to-back meetings isn’t a quick fix, or a one-and-done conversation. No matter where you are in your organization, you can become a Time Leader by starting with conversations. With practice, a little courage, and some small wins you will create some much-needed breathing space for yourself and everyone in the company.