Meetings, meetings and more meetings. We have plenty of them in our agendas, scheduled, improvised, well planned, .. How many of them have we left with the thought that nothing was decided, that the important stuff was not said, or that everyone had to say something no matter what? Unproductive meetings take place pretty often.
Want to make the most of YOUR time? Let’s look at one of the biggest time-consuming activity: MEETINGS! You will be gaining time, respect and freedom.
When you are one of the attendees you need to be prepared. Ask for the agenda and documentation in advance (so you can know what to expect). During the meeting, use the W.A.I.T principle, Why Am I Talking? Do I have a point to make? Is someone asking for my opinion on something? Will, what I say, add any value to the ongoing discussion? If yes, then be concise. Think before you speak, consider what others said and what you want to obtain from your speech.
Did someone say something that bothered you? Are you going to speak just to correct someone else’s mistake? Is that correction critical? Would make any harm if you ignore it? Are you just speaking to fill in a silence? If your answer was yes, then, do not talk. There is no need to. Do not panic if you do not say a word during the session. Next time, make sure you participate only if it’s important for you to do so. It will help you in many ways, one is that you that sense of wasting time will reduce and at the same time it will free you for productive, creative work. Space to think and create. Sometimes we feel… lost, idle if we do not have a busy agenda, or if we do not say a word during a session… It is not real, you are no more important than others by having no free slot or talking more than anyone else. You are as important as your valuable opinion. When you speak up at the right time.
The diagram refers to meetings but it is applicable to one to one conversations, professional or personal (follow the left side of the diagram). Say what you need, do not over-talk, find the right moment.
Ready to be more efficient?
Thanks to Work Compass (http://workcompass.com/blog/)