How much time do you spend in meetings only to end up feeling drained, frustrated, or distracted?
A major source of frustration comes from poorly planned or unnecessary meetings. Whether it's the lack of an agenda, too many people or simply a meeting with no clear focus or outcome, pointless meetings waste more than just your time.
They clog up your schedule, drain your focus and leave you feeling less productive, more stressed and with a string of actions you now need to find time for.
In fact, professionals spend 25-50% of their week in meetings.
Multiply that by the number of people in each meeting and it's not just the time spent that's the problem, it's also the time before, during and after.
7 Simple Changes To Protect Your Time and Focus
Planned and focused meetings can be productive. Meetings without a plan, waste time and create unnecessary distractions. Make
every meeting worthy of your time and attendance.
Here are 7 simple changes you can make today to protect your time and focus from meetings.
1. Send a Clear Purpose, Not Just an Invite
Before you send or accept a meeting invite be clear about:
- What's the purpose?
- What decision needs to be made?
- What preparation or input is required from the attendees?
- Is this the best format for the discussion?
Clear communication about the meeting will make sure it’s more focused and effective, so you get the right results. No agenda. No meeting!
2. Right people, right time
- Who needs to be in the meeting to make decisions, provide input, or take action?
- If someone’s only there “just for info”, send them a summary instead.
- If the decision maker isn't able to attend, don't go ahead anyway!
- Could the information be delivered via email, Slack or Teams?
Protect everyone’s time by keeping meetings approropriate, focused and
productive.
3. Use Timed Agendas
Agendas are essential. No agenda. No meeting! Timed agendas are even more useful. E.g.:
00–05: Welcome, introduction and purpose
05–15: Project updates
15–25: Discuss Roadblocks
25–30: Confirm next
actions
Stick to the agenda, start and finish on time. Respect everyone’s time and keep the meeting focused on what matters.
4. Define Roles: Lead, Listen, and Action
Every meeting needs three clear roles to ensure no
decisions fall through the cracks or get forgotten, and everyone knows what they’re responsible for:
- Lead/Facilitator: Keeps the discussion on track
- Contributor(s): For relevant insights and details
- Note-taker: Captures key actions and decisions (can be AI)
5. Cut Recurring Meetings by 30%!
You’ll potentially save hours a week that could be used for more productive work. Once a quarter ask yourself:
- Does this meeting still serve a purpose?
- Can the frequency be reduced?
- Could the information be delivered in another way?
6. Add a “No Meeting” Focus Block to Your Diary
Protect your time by blocking out a 2-hour “no meeting” block each day, along with 'Meeting Free' days.
- Mark it as
busy and use it for “deep work” or “project time”
- Treat it like an important client booking
Protect your focused time so you get higher-quality work done without constant interruptions from meetings.
7. Finish Meetings with 3 Clear Statements
Summarise the meeting and end with 3 clear outcomes.
- What was agreed/decided …
- Next steps, actions and responsibilities …
- Timeframe for the next meeting or follow up …
Everyone leaves knowing what’s expected, it reduces confusion and follow-up issues.
Better Meetings = More Purposeful Meetings
Meetings that are short, sharp and have a clear purpose, are more productive and purposeful.
You don't need to default to an hour. Switch it up. Set 50 minute meetings as the default. Create a 10-15 minute buffer between meetings. No more back-to-back meetings without a break!
Which meetings do you attend out of habit, obligation or fear of missing out?
Be more intentional. Say 'no' to meetings that don’t have an agenda or purpose. Meetings should add value and move work forward, not just clutter up your calendar.
Make a few simple changes and switch your meetings from being time drains into a more productive, valuable use of your time.
Audit Your Meetings
Do
a quick audit of your most recent meetings to see where you can reduce meeting time and increase your productivity.
Step 1: Review Your Last 10 Meetings
- How much time did you spend in meetings?
- What was the outcome for each meeting?
- Was it a good use of your time?
Step 2: Categorise Each Meeting
Tag each meeting depending on it's purpose and outcome:
- Decision: A specific outcome reached
- Update: Information
shared
- Drift: No clear purpose or value
- Repeat: Regular meeting with minimal change
Step 3: Identify Changes and Adjust
- What meetings could be merged or cancelled?
- What updates could be shared via email or another platform?
- What meetings need a tighter agenda or a smaller group?
