Bored colleagues playiwith pencils at a meeting.diego cervo/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Why do we hold weekly meetings? On ProductiveFirm.com, blogger Al Pittampalli suggests three reasons: to make decisions and revolve issues; to get critical information to your staff; and to socialize and network with colleagues.
He contends that you can kill your weekly meetings, however, and get all those benefits other ways:
Force people to make decisions themselves, rather than leave it to meetings. "One individual should take responsibility for a decision. Sure, she can consult with people individually if she needs input, but she ultimately needs to make the decision herself," he argues. If a meeting is necessary to get buy-in from others or co-ordinate the plan to implement the decision, call one for that purpose.
Use e-mail, audio messages or videos to communicate information. Get your team to agree to what he calls "a sacred pact" – in return for cancelling the weekly meeting, they will consume these memos.
Schedule dedicated social events for networking and team bonding. It's silly to do that in a meeting anyway.
"Here's my challenge to you: Kill your regularly scheduled meeting tradition for a month. If you miss it, you can blame me. But once you realize you don't miss it, let it die ... forever," Mr. Pittampalli concludes.
Harvey Schachter