How to Get Yourself Out of Meetings
If you’re like me, you have more than one meeting on your weekly or monthly calendar that you dread going to. The worst part is that you’re not sure why you even continue to go. The good news is, there’s an effective way to get out of that meeting and add some extra hours to your schedule as a result.
The Niceness Trap
This is an especially difficult trap when you’re a leader and other people want, or even expect, you to attend a meeting that you don’t want to be at
- By choosing not to go, you risk creating the perception among other attendees that the meeting isn’t important
Group Communications
Avoid sending the message that this meeting isn’t important
- Make it clear that you appreciate all the work being done, and that the meeting itself remains important to continue
- Ensure that the leader of the meeting has your full trust and authority
- Just because you’re not going to be at the next meeting doesn’t diminish the value of attendance for everyone else
Stop Meeting Now
Where could you invest your free time?
- Pick one meeting you have this week and try this technique.
- See if you can get an hour or two of time back that you can then invest in some other aspect of your business. If it works, try it again.
Mission-Critical Only
Evaluate the meetings you attend and make an objective analysis about the ones you are truly mission-critical to
- Make your list and then circle all the ones that aren’t mission critical to prepare yourself for the next step.
- If you’re dealing with meetings where you are regularly asked to make decisions on the big objectives for the company, then yes, mission critical.
Communicate One-On-One
Private conversations with the leaders and organizers of those meetings to communicate with them that you no longer want to attend the meeting–while also explaining why.
- Communicate that you still value the need for the meeting, and that you trust this leader to continue moving forward.
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