Streamlining Project Meetings to Save Time

A PM at Google asked me how I managed 30+ stakeholders. 'More meetings?' Wrong. Here's the RACI framework that cut my meeting load by 60% while increasing influence. 1/ 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙨 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 Most PMs drown because they invite everyone who's "interested." Instead, split your stakeholders into: - R: People doing the work - A: People accountable for success 2/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙥 Stop asking for approval from everyone. Create two clear buckets: - C: Must consult before decisions - I: Just keep informed of progress 3/ 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 > 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 For "Informed" stakeholders, switch to documented updates. They'll actually retain more than in another recurring meeting. 4/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙚 "𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲." Use this in every email. Watch the right people emerge. 5/ 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 Build your approval flows around your R&A stakeholders only. Everyone else gets strategic updates. --- This isn't about excluding people. It's about respecting everyone's time while maintaining momentum. If you found this framework helpful for managing stakeholders: 1. Follow Alex Rechevskiy for more actionable frameworks on product leadership and time management 2. Bookmark and retweet to save these tactics and help other PMs streamline their stakeholder management

I've carefully observed hundreds of team meetings across industries, and one pattern emerges with striking consistency: the level of frustration team members feel leaving a meeting directly correlates with how clearly everyone understood why they were there in the first place. In one organization I worked with, weekly team meetings had become so unfocused that people openly admitted to bringing other work to complete while "listening." The meeting culture had deteriorated to the point where even the leader dreaded convening the team. Sound familiar? What transformed this team wasn't elaborate techniques or technology—it was implementing what I now call the "Purpose-Process-Outcome" framework. Before every meeting, this framework asks three deceptively simple questions: PURPOSE: Why are we meeting? What specific need requires us to gather synchronously rather than handling this asynchronously? PROCESS: How will we use our time together? What structures and activities will best serve our purpose? OUTCOME: What tangible result will we have produced by the end of this meeting? How will we know our time was well spent? When we implemented this framework with that struggling team, the transformation was remarkable: Meetings shortened from 90 minutes to 45. Participation increased dramatically. Most importantly, team members reported feeling that their time was respected. What made the difference? Each person walked in knowing exactly why they were there and what their role was in creating a specific outcome. One team member told me: "I used to leave meetings feeling like we'd just wasted an hour talking in circles. Now I leave with clear action items and decisions we've made together." Another unexpected benefit emerged: the team began to question whether meetings were always the right solution. They discovered that about 30% of their previous meeting time could be handled more efficiently through other channels. The framework forces clarity that many leaders avoid. When you can't clearly articulate why you're gathering people, what you'll do together, and what you'll produce, it's a signal to pause and reconsider. I've found that when team leaders commit to this framework, they stop being meeting facilitators and become architects of meaningful collaboration. The shift is subtle but profound—from "running" meetings to designing experiences that accomplish specific goals. What's your best tip for making meetings more productive? Share your wisdom in the comments. P.S. If you’re interested in developing as a leader, try out one of my Skill Sessions for free: https://lnkd.in/d38mm4KQ

Most meetings suck - suck time, energy, and productivity. I know I'm not alone in being over the endless meeting workday. For startups (or anyone building), time is the most precious resource. If you're always meeting, when do you have time to actually build the thing? It's time to challenge the status quo and reimagine our meeting culture. And not just because it’s a driving culprit behind Sunday Scaries! Here's why: 💸 A Doodle study found pointless meetings cost U.S. businesses $399 billion in 2019. How much runway are you burning in conference rooms? 📆 Atlassian reports employees spend 31 hours monthly in unproductive meetings. That's four workdays lost! 😨 Harvard Business Review research shows 65% of senior managers say meetings keep them from completing work. In startups, that's innovation suicide. ⏱️ According to Korn Ferry, 71% of professionals lose time weekly due to unnecessary meetings. Can you afford this when racing for product-market fit? 😴 Atlassian's survey revealed 91% of employees daydream during meetings, 39% have fallen asleep. How can you disrupt markets with a snoozing team? 👀 Doodle found only 50% of meeting time is spent engaging with content. Would you accept this from your code? It's time for a radical shift. Here are some ideas we’ve been kicking around: ⏳ Implement a "Meeting Budget": Allocate a fixed amount of time for meetings each week. Once it's gone, it's gone. This forces prioritization and efficiency. 🍕 "Two-Pizza Rule": If two pizzas can't feed the group, the meeting's too large. Smaller groups tend to be more focused and decisive. 💻 Smarter Async Communication: Use tools to determine what needs real-time interaction. If a topic requires more than 6 Slack exchanges, it might be time for a quick sync. 🙅🏻♀️ "No-Meeting Days": Designate specific days for deep work, free from interruptions. This can significantly boost productivity and creative output. 📋 Use POP Agenda: This is a game-changer for meeting efficiency. Here's how it works: - Purpose: Clearly state why you're meeting. Is it for decision-making, brainstorming, or alignment? - Outcomes: Define 2-3 specific results you need by the end of the meeting. - Process: Outline how you'll use the time to achieve those outcomes. POP keeps everyone focused and gives permission to redirect when discussions stray. It works for everything from quick check-ins to marathon brainstorming sessions. (One of my favorite frameworks I’ve ever used!) Let's stop sucking the life out of our organizations with needless meetings. The future of innovation depends on it. How has your team cut meeting fat and started sprinting faster?

This is insane: the average employee attends over 𝟲𝟬 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 a month. As a leader, here's 𝟲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺'𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘀 (so they can focus more time and energy on the work that matters most): 1. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. If someone asks to schedule time with you, ask them if what they need can be solved with an email instead. The answer is usually "yes".     2. 𝗔𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 is the new norm. Get comfy with voice memos (Slack, WhatsApp, LinkedIn), video recordings, email, shared folders, etc. to capture and distribute information in a way that allows your team to process it when it makes sense for their work schedule.     3. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 lend credit to the idea that you "need" to meet on a regular basis to ensure productivity. This is a lie. Eliminate as many as possible, keep those that remain as brief as possible. 4. Learn to say "𝗻𝗼". It's not rude; it's respectful to your time and theirs. If a meeting does not have a clear purpose, clear actionable outcomes, or a clear direct impact to the metrics you and your team are responsible for achieving, consider why you're even saying "yes" in the first place. 5. When a meeting is absolutely necessary, 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 to mitigate wasted time. Meetings aren't locked into two sizes: 30 mins and 60 mins. Set 15 minute meetings, 20 minute meetings, 40 minute meetings. Shave time whenever you can - this gives your team time back and models efficient meeting behaviors. 6. Invite only those who are actively being called on to contribute. The more people you have in a meeting, the harder it is to reach consensus and have meaningful conversation. Make decisions more rapidly by 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 (have them gather input from others who won't be in attendance ahead of time, if needed). I recognize, for some of you, these suggestions are a colossal shift in the way you work. It can seem overwhelming. Let's recall: the average person is in over 60 meetings 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛. If that person is paid an average annual wage of ~$80k, and those meetings average about 1 hour each, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 $𝟮𝟴,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 for them to sit in meetings. Now, multiply that by the number of people in your company. You can implement these 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗬 wins right now to make everyone's lives easier. Trust me, your team will thank you. Do you have other suggestions to guard against excessive meetings? Drop 'em below! 👇 #Meetings #PeopleFirst #Culture #ProductivityHack #TimeHack  

Meetings are killing your productivity. Here's how to fix that. We spend countless hours each week in meetings, yet most of them are unnecessary time-wasters that should have been emails. Most meetings happen because someone wants to save themselves the effort of solving a problem alone. They'd rather talk it out with colleagues than do the hard work of thinking. Those meetings are pointless. But not all meetings are.  By establishing clear rules for when meetings should (and shouldn't) happen, you can reclaim hours of productive time each week. These seven meeting commandments will transform your workplace culture and eliminate useless meetings forever: 1. Thou Shalt Only Meet for Consensus Meetings are for making decisions, not information sharing. If you're not seeking alignment or agreement, don't schedule a meeting. 2. Thou Shalt Require a Clear Agenda No agenda, no meeting. Period. Every meeting must have a structured plan outlining what problem needs solving. 3. Thou Shalt Prepare a Briefing Document Before calling a meeting, write a 1-2 page digest outlining the problem, your reasoning, and your recommendation. Do the thinking work first. 4. Thou Shalt Communicate Asynchronously First Share information and gather feedback through email, Slack, or collaborative documents before considering a synchronous meeting. 5. Thou Shalt Not Hold Status Update Meetings Routine updates can be handled through asynchronous communication. Save meetings for discussions that actually require real-time interaction. 6. Thou Shalt Keep Meetings Brief Shorter is better. Stand-up meetings can effectively keep discussions focused and prevent rambling. 7. Thou Shalt Ban Devices Require all attendees to leave their devices at the door. If a meeting is worth having, it deserves everyone's full attention. For more workplace productivity tips like these, subscribe to my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e3xrWpEj

You don't need more time. You need fewer meetings. How to reclaim your calendar: We have fallen into bad habits - Weeks that vanish in virtual rooms - The auto-pilot "accept" to every invite - Wasting hours on email-worthy updates A harsh truth: You have the time. You just need to manage it. Start here: 1. Change the Cadence ↳ Question the default 30-minute block ↳ Challenge weekly meeting rhythms 2. Capture the Cost ↳ Calculate total hours × participants ↳ Make the data impossible to ignore 3. Clean the Slate ↳ Question large recurring sessions ↳ Reset the reasons for why we meet 4. Send a Delegate ↳ Trust your team to represent you ↳ Welcome fresh perspectives 5. Shift to Async ↳ Default to writing, not meeting ↳ Ask: "Could this be an email?" 6. Suggest Async Solutions ↳ Invite decision-makers only ↳ Share transcripts with others 7. Meet Half as Often, Twice as Well ↳ Protect your 1:1s ↳ Guard against decision fatigue Remember: Everyone craves more time. Few have the courage to reclaim it. ♻️ Share to help someone 🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

Meetings are broken. 13 unconventional ideas to fix them: 93% of workers have complaints about their meetings. And even 71% of senior leaders say meetings are unproductive. The old ideas aren't working. We need more radical ones: 1) Ban them ↳Typically, meetings are the default - they happen and often ↳Flip it so they're taboo (not a full ban, but close), and only occur when truly justified 2) Restrict them ↳Assign days (like Monday and Friday) and times (before 10, after 3) when they're forbidden ↳The harder they are to schedule, the more people will question the necessity 3) Try email first ↳We've all heard "that meeting could have been an email" - so try it ↳Before sending a meeting invite, email participants the relevant info, and ensure everyone agrees a meeting is necessary 4) "No agenda, no attenda" ↳If there isn't a clear agenda with key decisions sent at least 24 hours before, the meeting is cancelled ↳Meetings without clear plans prevent preparation and ultimately take longer 5) Start at odd times ↳Never start a meeting at :00 or :30 - people will have something until RIGHT before and inevitably be late ↳Start at 9:07 a.m. or 1:33 p.m. to grab attention and ensure punctuality 6) Display a cost per minute ↳Calculate the hourly rate of all attendees and display the running cost of the meeting in real time ↳It reminds people that meetings don't cost an hour, they cost an hour TIMES the number of people TIMES their hourly rate 7) Ban phones ↳Removing phones and computers removes multitasking, and ensures everyone is fully present ↳It also requires people to come prepared, knowing they can't lean on notes 8) Remove chairs ↳Standing meetings encourage brevity and focus - and are better for everyone's health 9) Have a timer ↳Like a presidential debate or an Oscars award speech, each person gets a short amount of time and then gets cut off ↳No exceptions - have an audible timer 10) Use a 10-word rule ↳Everyone must start their turn by summarizing their key point in 10 words or less ↳Leading with the headline is comms 101, and it forces people to be clearer and more concise 11) Brainstorm silently ↳If new information or questions arise, allow 1 minute of silent brainstorming ↳This lets people clarify their thinking, avoids groupthink, and empowers introverted participants 12) Forbid follow-ups ↳All key takeaways and next steps must be captured in the meeting, agreed upon, and shared instantly ↳No "I'll send out the action items afterward" or "we'll have a follow-up meeting next week" 13) Reexamine the need ↳End the meeting by asking everyone whether it actually needed to happen and everyone needed to be there ↳Use those takeaways to further cut future meetings and limit group size The vast majority of workers think meetings need to change. You might not use all of these, But give some a try to start turning things around. Any others you'd add? --- ♻️ Repost to help fix more meetings. And follow me George Stern for more

Project managers, every meeting has a cost So spend your time like a budget. Our daily job is managing attention. And meetings are expensive. Not just in dollars, but in focus, energy, and momentum. Make every meeting you schedule worth the investment. Here's how: ✅ Audit recurring meetings regularly Does your meeting still serve it's original purpose? Are the right people still attending? If the answer to these are "no", you have 3 choices. Cancel, consolidate, or reformat to reestablish the value. ✅ Set the agenda before you send the invite A good rule of thumb is if there's no agenda, there's no meeting. A clear agenda sets expectations. It keeps the group on track and respects everyone's time. Solicit input from the team to keep your meeting current/impactful. ✅ End with clarity Every meeting should produce a minimum of 3 things. 1. Next steps 2. Owners 3. Deadlines/decisions Don't burn 30 minutes of momentum by ending with "we'll circle back." Review these BEFORE you end the meeting (and send them out as action items following the meeting). You wouldn't waste your money on things that aren't important to you. Your meetings are the same way. Make them valuable. 🤙

Meetings don’t have to suck. I used to dread them. Endless discussions. No clear takeaways. A complete waste of time. But then I realized something: Most meetings fail because they ignore fundamental principles. A meeting without a clear goal? Chaos. A meeting without an agenda? Unfocused. A meeting that drags on? Energy drain. The key to productive meetings isn’t just better scheduling—it’s fixing the core issues. Once you understand the principles of effective meetings, you take control. You stop letting meetings drain your time. You start using them as a tool for real progress. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Set a Clear Purpose – If there’s no goal, cancel it. 2️⃣ Timebox Everything – 15-30 minutes max. Get in, get out. 3️⃣ Agenda Required – No agenda? No meeting. 4️⃣ Stand-Up Meetings – Stand to keep it short and sharp. 5️⃣ Silent Meetings – Start with 10 minutes of silent reading. 6️⃣ Two-Pizza Rule – If a pizza can’t feed the group, the meeting is too big. 7️⃣ Assign Roles – Someone leads, someone takes notes. 8️⃣ Ban Devices – No distractions unless essential. 9️⃣ End Early – If you hit the goal, wrap it up. 🔟 Follow-Up Framework – Always leave with clear next steps. 1️⃣1️⃣ Walking Meetings – Walk and talk for creativity. 1️⃣2️⃣ Rotate Leadership – Let different team members lead. Meetings aren’t the enemy. Poorly run meetings are. Fix the process. Save your time. Get real work done. ♻️ Repost to inspire change in your organization. Follow Pandit Dasa for more

Great meetings don’t happen by chance. They happen by design. Use this POWER framework to streamline meetings and drive better outcomes: 🔹 Purpose – One clear reason for meeting 🔹 Outcomes – Specific deliverables expected 🔹 Who – Only essential participants 🔹 Engagement – Defined participation model 🔹 Required prep – Pre-work assigned The impact will be immediate: ✅ Meetings became shorter and more focused ✅ Team members have clear next steps instead of confusion ✅ Decisions are made faster, reducing the need for follow-ups ✅ Participants felt their time was respected ✅ Engagement and collaboration improved #MeetingTips #MeetingEfficiency #LeadershipTips