Rethinking meetings for enhanced productivity
Are you drowning in a sea of never-ending meetings? According to a recent Microsoft study, the number of Teams meetings and calls has tripled since February 2020. For many companies - these meetings may be killing productivity.
In fact, 68% of people feel like they never have enough uninterrupted focus time during the work day. With more time being consumed by communication apps like Teams than creativity tools like Word or Excel, this concern is hardly surprising.
I've heard countless complaints from people about back-to-back meetings. And guess what? Microsoft's Human Factors Lab has actually found that if we go from one meeting to the next without taking a break, it puts extra stress on our brains. And when our brains are stressed, we're more likely to rely on our emotions rather than rational thinking. Not exactly the recipe for peak productivity, right?
Research from Microsoft that shows our brains get stressed with back to back meetings.
So why do people subject themselves to unnecessary meetings? Well, it turns out that FOMO (fear of missing out) plays a role. In fact, only one in three people think they would be missed in the majority of their meetings. Their main motivation for attending is simply to gather information to help them do their jobs.
If you and your team are ready to break free from the endless meeting madness and boost productivity, here are a few tips to try:
1. Evaluate Recurring Meetings: Take a closer look at your recurring meetings and who attends them. Are they actually useful? Can some be restructured or replaced with a more efficient workflow?
2. End Meetings Early: Try ending meetings 5 minutes early. By doing so, you'll have a few extra minutes to take a breather and recharge.
3. Leverage AI Tools: Consider using an AI-powered tool to capture meeting notes. This way, even if someone can't make it, they can still access important information.
4. Protect Focus Time: Sit down with your team and discuss the need for dedicated focus time. Find the best way to implement and protect it.
So, let's ditch the unproductive meetings and find ways to reclaim our time and brainpower. Your team will thank you for it!
Interested in working together? Find out more about how I help people achieve greater confidence, balance and fulfilment in their professional lives.