Theory
Meetings are meant to bring people together to share information, solve problems,
make decisions and coordinate actions. However, meetings that lack a clear
purpose often waste valuable time and reduce productivity.
A meeting should be held when collaboration, discussion or collective decision-
making is necessary. If information can be shared through an email or message, a
meeting may not be required.
Before scheduling a meeting, ask three questions: Why are we meeting? Who
needs to attend? What outcome should we achieve?
Story
Rajesh, a department head, conducted daily one-hour meetings with his team. Most
of the time was spent sharing routine updates, leaving employees with less time for
their actual work.
One day, he decided to replace routine meetings with brief written updates.
Meetings were held only when the team needed to solve problems, make decisions
or coordinate important tasks. Soon, the team saved several hours every week and
became more productive.
Rajesh realized that the goal was not to conduct more meetings, but to achieve
better outcomes with fewer meetings.
Learning
A meeting is a tool for productivity, not a ritual. Hold it only when the value of
collective discussion exceeds the time and effort involved. Every meeting should
have a clear agenda, the right participants and a defined outcome.
Activity
Think about your meetings and answer:
1. Which recurring meeting can be eliminated?
2. Which meeting can be replaced by a written update?
3. What specific outcome should your next meeting deliver?
Quote
“Time is money.” — Benjamin Franklin
Take Away
1. Purpose first: Never schedule a meeting without a clear objective.
2. Right timing: Meet when discussion or collective decisions are genuinely
needed.
3. Outcome matters: Keep meetings focused, brief and action-oriented.