[Playbook] Meetings
My unscientific observations and learnings about Meetings:
- Most meetings can be emails, most emails can be slack messages.
- Meetings are expensive. Assuming the average salary of an attendee is ₹1000/hr, for 5 person it would cost the company ₹5000/hr.
- After first 15 min, attention span decreases as the meeting progresses.
- Any meeting that is for more than an hour needs heavy justification.
- This includes sprint planning. I say this as a certified scrum master. (hashtag Flex)
- You can breakdown longer meetings to hour long meetings.
- Quality of meeting depends on a handful of people. Rest are just noise and can be not invited.
- Meeting organizer should take a call on which people will contribute and invite them.
- Standups should not have more than 10 people and it should not last more than 20-25 min. I say this as a certified scrum master. (hashtag Flex) (Unless of course, it’s a comedy standup.)
- Quality of meeting is inversely proportional to the number of people in it.
- For meetings with more than 7 people, 50% of people could have been avoided. Just send them the minutes.
- It’s not a meeting if there is no call for action/decisions made.
- Meeting between two people is not a meeting it’s a conversation.
- Meeting with more than 15 persons is not a meeting, it’s a Tedx talk!
- Never attend a meeting with more than 10 participants in it unless you know that you will be a significant contributor or it’s an all hands. Say to the organiser that you have other commitments and you will be waiting for the minutes.
- If you want people to read some material before they come to the meeting. Don’t. Just allot time at the start of the meeting so that people can read through. Don’t agree? Send an email to Jeff Bezos.
- People would love you if your meetings run for 25, 55 mins. This gives them time to stretch their legs, have 5-10 min break before their next meeting.
- It would help everyone if the person who is writing the minutes shares their screen. Make sure not to embarrass your self. Put messaging clients on Do Not Disturb.
- Always send minutes.
- Zoom gurus are treated as rock-stars.
further reading:
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