Not all things are equal and not all meetings are the same.
We hear more and more that post-pandemic work is “meetings all over the place”. This builds a picture with the message “meetings are a waste of time”.
Well, I believe there are nouances.
One can be that people call “meeting” any digital interaction that involves Teams/Zoom/Slack call. I believe this is false, as now we have “a call” for any inside-the-team interaction that when working in the office would have been one or a couple of chairs turned around for a small & focused discussion.
Another nuance is that this “meetings are all over the place” feeling hides a more profound statement that many times is left unsaid. “Meetings are ran poorly” is a more apt explanation for this feeling of waste.
Usually, there is nothing stopping you to focus on your work and drive away a significant part of the distractions.
Most times, there is nothing stopping you to politely refuse a meeting invite that is not clear. This means it does not include a purpose, a “definition of success”, an agenda, and this is the bare minimal.
Meetings can end early! Once the purpose is met, there is nothing stopping us to move on.
It is OK to be open with the others and highlight a well facilitated meeting! Be grateful for good facilitation! Praise it and let it be known. This increases the chances of more great facilitation.
It is easier to blame others than to blame ourselves. Let’s look in the mirror, me included!
It is possible to have good meetings!
Mindsets are more powerful than practices 