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ways to avoid time traps

three hours discussing a new project that may not be your respon-
sibility anyway. You find with profound regret that your schedule
does not permit you to attend, but you hope for a most productive
meeting and want to be kept informed of the results.

The reality of the situation may be somewhat different. You
won’t always have the ability to duck a meeting. Attendance is
expected at your department meetings, for example, and when
your manager puts you on the list for a meeting, you’d better have
a bona fide reason that he will accept if you plan to skip. You
also should consider, when you’re thinking about what a pointless
waste of time the planning committee meeting is, what you’ll miss
if you don’t attend. It’s easy to find yourself outside the loop, and
even if most attendees seem critical of each other, meetings can
also cement or repair bonds between colleagues. Miss too many
and you run the risk of finding yourself marginalized.

Maximize Your Meeting Productivity

Since meetings are a part of the work environment, and you know
how to diplomatically avoid those that result in a net loss of infor-
mation and/or kill brain cells, you are left with the responsibility
to attend an abundance of meetings. Some tips, truths, and guide-
lines for survival in meeting mode:

1. Don’t set up a meeting merely to distribute information;
use email. Summarize the important points so no one will
miss them, and circulate the complete report for people
who need all the facts.

2. No meeting should be planned or attended that doesn’t
have an agenda and schedule including ending time. (See
also the discussion of reality above.)

3. The best meeting agendas include the expected outcome
or decisions. This alerts attendees that they’re not meeting
to just discuss, but are expected to deliver a result.

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