{"id":5753,"date":"2022-02-02T21:12:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T01:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/followgreg.com\/ftravel\/?p=5753"},"modified":"2023-02-24T21:13:45","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T01:13:45","slug":"my-quest-for-a-meeting-free-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/followgreg.com\/ftravel\/2022\/02\/02\/my-quest-for-a-meeting-free-year\/","title":{"rendered":"My Quest for a Meeting-Free Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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There\u2019s a scene in HBO Max\u2019s new \u201cStation Eleven\u201d adaptation that spooked me. The world-shattering pandemic and its human toll certainly struck a chord \u2014 but what really hit me was something else. It was the character Jim, persevering through an \u201cimportant\u201d business pitch as the world and the fabric of society crumbles outside the glass-encased conference room. Other characters call out the absurdity, but he persists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scene resonated with me because we\u2019ve all been there. Sure, we may not have clicked through a slide deck mid-apocalypse, but we\u2019ve all felt the pull of a meeting we can\u2019t turn down. There may be a thousand other things to do, but the invisible thread of that calendar invite pulls us away from them all. Meetings can be many things: social capital for the \u201cprofessionally busy,\u201d a topic for jokes about their futility, a chance to see our coworkers face to face. But how often are they useful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often lament the \u201cmeeting that could have been an email,\u201d but added together, these meetings are more than just nuisances. They\u2019re a waste of valuable time, taking precious hours from people\u2019s days. If I have 10 \u201cjust because\u201d 1:1s a week, that\u2019s five hours spent in purposeless meetings. With flat fees, it doesn\u2019t affect our billability, but it\u2019s still time you can\u2019t get back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the engine powering our meeting-clogged world is hustle culture, which seems to glorify a packed calendar above any actual work accomplished. This mindset comes from a real place, derived from a business world where appearing busy is more important than doing meaningful work. While full-calendar syndrome haunts businesses across industries, it\u2019s not irreversible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, I\u2019m making it a priority to place higher value on people\u2019s time \u2014 and empowering our team to do the same. I\u2019ve spoken before about blocking off \u201cthinking time\u201d and mid-day naps<\/a>, but it\u2019s time to take things a step further. I\u2019m excited to kick-start a culture that celebrates empty calendars and ending meetings early. Upon inspection, you might conclude that 100% of your meetings are immovable, job-critical gatherings. But I\u2019m betting that for most, this isn\u2019t the case. My personal challenge: Can I get to a place where I have no meetings at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know a meeting-free year isn\u2019t wholly practical, but it\u2019s also more realistic than it appears. I don\u2019t want to cut out all meetings, I want to cut out those <\/em>meetings \u2014 you know the ones. The goal isn\u2019t to avoid my team, but to focus on using time wisely, trusting employees and being intentional with how we spend our days. Here\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking about as I imagine the possibilities of an empty-calendar lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valuing Time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early in my career, a supervisor prepared me for a presentation with a piece of advice: \u201cFind a way to say something.\u201d The goal was to get noticed and project the appearance of a valuable contributor. It wasn\u2019t important what<\/em> I said, as long as I said something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, this moment encapsulates so many issues with the business status quo. The fact is, people whose personality types make it easy for them to weigh in are rewarded, often at the cost of better-performing staff members who don\u2019t work in the same way. This idea also shows that frequently, meetings are more about giving an appearance of productivity than completing real work. And the truth is obvious \u2014 most important work happens outside of meetings. So why are we wasting time talking about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paradigm shift can be challenging, but it\u2019s helpful to fall back on the design thinking principle of \u201cquestion everything.\u201d If I\u2019m invited to a meeting, I ask myself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n