Meetings are toxic

August 20th, 2008 | by geo |

Aside from customer and partner meetings, I have to agree the majority of meetings are a waste of time……..quoting 37signals

Don’t have meetings

Do you really need a meeting? Meetings usually arise when a concept isn’t clear enough. Instead of resorting to a meeting, try to simplify the concept so you can discuss it quickly via email or im or Campfire. The goal is to avoid meetings. Every minute you avoid spending in a meeting is a minute you can get real work done instead.

There’s nothing more toxic to productivity than a meeting. Here’s a few reasons why:

They break your work day into small, incoherent pieces that disrupt your natural workflow They’re usually about words and abstract concepts, not real things (like a piece of code or some interface design) They usually convey an abysmally small amount of information per minute They often contain at least one moron that inevitably gets his turn to waste everyone’s time with nonsense They drift off-subject easier than a Chicago cab in heavy snow They frequently have agendas so vague nobody is really sure what they are about They require thorough preparation that people rarely do anyway

For those times when you absolutely must have a meeting (this should be a rare event), stick to these simple rules:

Set a 30 minute timer. When it rings, meeting’s over. Period. Invite as few people as possible. Never have a meeting without a clear agenda.

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One Response to “Meetings are toxic”

By Bob Brill on Aug 23, 2008 | Reply

George: A little stunned since I got in mode of thinking entertainment when I read your posts. I can take the abrupt transitions, go with your consciousness, and thanks for completing the circle: meetings bad -> when must, rules to follow. Cheers, Bob