Why Weekly Follow-up Meetings Are Counterproductive and What You Can Do About It
The proliferation of well-intentioned remote “watch meetings” during the pandemic only made things more difficult. According to surveys, most workers say they want fewer appointments and that these appointments make them less productive, but there are ways to rein in all the “touch points” of gumming up their calendar. Here’s how you can change your schedule without pushing your coworkers away.
An ordinary “control meeting” is really just another formal meeting.
Collaboration and communication is much more difficult when working remotely compared to working together in the office. To compensate for this, many employees have added more follow-up appointments to their schedules — too many, as a recent survey of telecommuters shows that 70% of respondents hope to have fewer meetings when they return to the office. … And since the remote employee is literally less visible, managers are more likely to rely on “checks” to make sure the employee is doing well.
The problem is that many of these meetings are simply less effective than the spontaneous gatherings that once defined office work. For all the benefits of telecommuting, even coordinating a “quick call” requires text chat, sending invitations, and getting part of your calendar. Earlier, when a colleague was lying around in the office, you were more likely to see him and come back later, unless it was urgent.
And these additional virtual meetings are also not always effective, especially for team calls. There are no side conversations, fewer clarifying interjections, and during video meetings there is a freak show effect, when all the time is “on”, which leads to fatigue from Zoom (compare the virtual “happy hour” with a real corporate party). Although the study found that the average meeting time decreased by 20% during the pandemic, it is unclear how effective they are.
How to avoid too many control meetings
- Set aside time in your schedule for real work. According to Muse , middle managers typically spend 35% of their day in meetings. While this cannot be completely avoided, you should set aside long periods of two to three hours for work that requires constant concentration. Likewise, you should set aside times that you are also available for meetings as you want to be flexible for the team as needed.
- Insist on the agenda. If meetings are dragging on for no particular purpose or because of too long small talk, ask for an agenda – even if it’s something informal, like a few flagged items sent via Slack. It’s wise to ask for an agenda so you can get ready for the meeting. Plus, agendas have the added benefit of providing structure for your meeting, as you can always bring distracted conversation back to the meeting’s stated goals.
- Learn to politely decline appointments. If you can provide an hourly report on your work and explain your priorities, you can refuse the appointment because you are too busy. This is where a locked calendar can come in handy, because then the problem turns into a “schedule conflict”.
- Make sure your manager knows your communication style. Leaders can’t read minds, and some of their direct reports will require more attention than others, but that doesn’t mean you need a one-on-one call every week just because someone else is doing it. For example, there is nothing wrong with gently suggesting biweekly meetings instead of weekly meetings, or a phone call instead of video chat, for example.