Attending meetings that suck
I’ve lost years of my life in meetings that suck my time, energy, and money. Before agreeing to a meeting, confirm it’s worthy of your time. Request an agenda or set a hard stop as your escape route. Then get any non-disclosure or non-circumvention agreements in advance to save time.
If you’re leading the meeting, consider learning parliamentary procedure to help things stay on topic. Don’t allow tangents. If one arises, you can use my catchphrase: “Well, that’s all very interesting, I’m sure.” The key is to say this with a smile and pause before the last two words, then continue with, “However, as we were discussing … ” Once that phrase catches on, meetings will be quicker, and you’ll even start seeing it in emails. Just practice what you preach; otherwise, it might be used against you!
