Stop Having Pointless Meetings
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Why do bad meetings feel inevitable? Are we really resigned to sitting in — or worse, leading — pointless meetings? We shouldn’t be. Here are common reasons you might be back-to-back every single day, and how you can get your (and your team's) schedule under control:
Fear of missing out. Too often, we worry that our colleagues will judge us — or worse yet, forget about us — if we don’t accept every invitation. Instead of RSVPing “yes,” demonstrate your value and engagement outside of meetings, and encourage your team to do the same.
Meeting amnesia. Do you feel like you’re having the same meeting over and over again? You might be. Make it routine to take notes and share those summaries with attendees and any relevant stakeholders who weren’t present. Keeping consistent and accessible synopses of your team’s meetings will help you avoid retreading the same ground.
Lack of accountability. If you're using a meeting as a way to check that work is actually getting done, consider telling your colleagues in advance that you’ll cancel and give everyone the time back if they meet their deadlines ahead of the set time.
Tip
为什么糟糕的会议让人觉得不可避免？ 我们是否真的听任无意义的会议？ 我们不应该这样。 以下是你可能每天背靠背的常见原因，以及你如何控制你（和你的团队）的日程安排：
害怕错过. 我们常常担心，如果我们不接受每一个邀请，我们的同事会评判我们，或者更糟的是，忘记我们。 与其在回复中说“是”，不如在会议之外展示你的价值和参与度，并鼓励你的团队也这么做。
会议失忆症。你是不是觉得你在一次又一次地开同一个会议？你可能是。 把做笔记当作例行公事，并与与会者和不在场的相关利益攸关方分享这些摘要。 保持团队会议内容的连贯性和可访问性将帮助你避免重蹈覆辙。
缺乏问责制。 如果你用开会的方式来检查工作是否已经完成，可以考虑提前告诉你的同事，如果他们在规定的时间之前完成了任务，你就会取消会议并给他们时间。
