Are lengthy meetings a thing of the past for today’s organizations? In short, yes – at least for those aware of the reasons and dramatic benefits. 

As an Area Director at Goodwin Recruiting(opens in new tab), one of my strategies is to keep our sessions SHORT. Instead of letting lengthy business meetings stifle our momentum and productivity, I’ve found that during brief, 15-minute meeting slots, my team and I accomplish a lot! It’s an optimal duration for a team meeting. 

We’re among the highest-performing teams at our company, and I believe our elevated productivity levels, and more importantly, our effectiveness, are a direct result of being intentional about how we spend our time. 

We get together, focus on what really matters, align on priorities, and make decisions. Then we get out of each other’s way, allowing us to work toward shared goals. 

Short sessions make more time for constituents and priority work 

The goal of our meetings isn’t to spend more time talking about the work; it’s to spend more time advancing and completing priority tasks.  

I want to give our team members as much time back in their day as possible so they can do what drives results for our clients, candidates, each other, and our company. The end results are proof that a short meeting strategy works: 

• We’re able to interview and present more job candidates to clients for their open roles. 

• Our time is freed up to connect more with existing clients and engage prospective clients. 

• We have more time to focus on building stronger relationships with hiring companies and professionals who are great fits for open positions. 

• We have a more meaningful impact on our clients’ hiring initiatives, and in our candidates’ lives and careers. And we benefit as a team and company. 

The ultimate prize? Everyone wins! 

Tips for using meetings to make productivity grow 

Since winning is very much about continuous improvement, why not chisel and shape your meetings into short, focused, sessions with the power to boost your performance? Whether you conduct online meetings or hold them in person with employees or teams, short sessions are equally effective.  

Every organization and team has unique ways of operating. The same is true when transitioning from lengthy, inefficient business meetings to short, impactful ones. While there are exceptions, short durations work for many types of meetings. 

A few tips for the most productive short meetings:

• Circulate detailed agendas in advance to stay focused during scheduled time slots. 
• Use timers to ensure the meeting time is not exceeded. 
• Stress the importance of being on time, since meetings are short.  
• Split longer agendas or brainstorming sessions across several days to improve workday time management while keeping important discussions on the table. 
• Avoid reading things out loud that are printed on a slide deck, as you’re automatically losing half (or more!) of your audience. People want to hear the how or the why behind the facts demonstrated on a slide.
• Allow time to ask questions about the information – this gives your team a chance to engage at a higher level.

If you communicate to your audience, “Your time is valuable” by keeping meetings concise, you will continue to see higher levels of engagement from the entire team. Your focus should be geared toward your strongest performers and the practices that drive their success.

Explore effective strategies for making every meeting count  

Meeting duration matters, but so does frequency. Learn more about meeting strategies that work for other organizations and that may be a great fit for you and your team.  

Choose a method and give it a go for your next meeting, or better yet, your next several meetings, so that you and your team can truly experience how a shorter meeting length creates more productive sessions. 

Here are some resources to get your ideas flowing: 

1. “Should Meetings Be Longer Than 15 Minutes?(opens in new tab)” – a short, candid video from Gary Vaynerchuk, a recognized entrepreneur, investor, and internet personality
2. “Why a ‘No Meeting Day’ Is Essential for Productivity(opens in new tab)” – an Informative article from Hive, which helps teams plan, collaborate, and deliver
3. “5 Tips for Dealing With Meeting Overload | The Way We Work(opens in new tab)” – part of a TED Talk series featuring leadership expert Cindy Solomon on getting your calendar to work for you, not against you

Solomon’s 5 steps:   

1. Ask yourself – do you really need the meeting? Write the meeting invitation first – and if you can’t start with an action verb, you shouldn’t have the meeting. 
2. Invite the LEAST number of people possible. Go right to the decision makers, only including those who truly need to be there. 
3. Make your meetings shorter. Stop the snowball of lateness than can creep up throughout the day. 
4. Say no to other meetings. Is your opinion truly vital to the meeting? If not, say no – delegate the meeting to a high performer. 
5. Be ruthless with your time.This allows you to be at your best for others. Take care of yourself first, so that you can better take care of others.  

These simple changes can free up HOURS on your calendar! Take control of each day and you’ll be amazed by how much extra time you create. 

Put a winning team on your business agenda 

Ultimately, no meeting strategy can outperform the people in the room. A strong, adaptable, and aligned team makes the difference, whether your meeting lasts five minutes or 60. 

Get in touch with me(opens in new tab) if you’re looking for your next great leader who can bring these ideas and practices to fruition. The experts at Goodwin Recruiting have access to high-caliber candidates for your essential roles. My name is Melissa Montero and I am an Area Director at Goodwin Recruiting, a Forbes Best Recruitment Company. I welcome a conversation about your key talent needs.