Rethinking Meetings: The Supermarket Approach to Productivity
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The Evolution of Meetings
When you hear the word "meetings," what feelings arise? For some, they represent an opportunity for consensus; for others, they may feel like a necessary burden. Personally, I've encountered meetings of all types, ranging from incredibly productive to utterly pointless. Throughout my career, I've experienced both high points and low moments during these gatherings.
The key guideline I’ve established for attending meetings is straightforward: be fully present. This means no distractions like browsing the internet, using Slack, or multitasking. If a meeting isn’t valuable, you have three choices: try to improve it, voice your concerns, or simply exit. My goal is to make the most of the time spent in meetings.
The Supermarket vs. Specialized Shops
In planning my schedule, I prefer meetings to adhere to their allocated time—no more, no less. I equally dislike when discussions run over or when a host suddenly cancels a meeting due to a lack of agenda.
When a colleague proposed a new meeting focused on a specific topic, I expressed my reservations. While it might work initially, I feared that the topics would eventually dwindle, leading to a stagnant meeting. Maintaining the interest and relevance of a recurring meeting requires significant effort.
Upon reflection, I noticed that we already have existing recurring meetings that occasionally end early or get canceled. It dawned on me that we could broaden their scope to cover related subjects. This way, we can ensure that the scheduled time is fully utilized before introducing new meetings. By incorporating a variety of topics into one session, we can enhance the overall effectiveness of our discussions.
A "Supermarket Meeting" refers to a consolidated approach where multiple subjects are addressed within a single recurring session, akin to shopping for different items in one trip to the supermarket. Instead of scheduling separate meetings for different topics, we can merge all related discussions into one regular time slot. This enhances productivity, optimizes time usage, and keeps meetings lively and relevant.
Imagine going to a supermarket to gather all your groceries in one visit instead of visiting separate specialty stores for bread, meat, and wine on different days. One consistent meeting each week at the same time allows for a variety of discussions.
A Fresh Perspective on Meetings
Moving forward, I plan to transform our weekly meeting into a "supermarket" for all things Tech-related. Have a question about a GraphQL schema? Bring it! Want to share insights on Kafka from your previous role? Absolutely! Encountered an issue with DataDog? We’re all ears!
If we find that we often run out of time or that certain topics warrant their own dedicated meetings, we can always create new slots as needed. I believe this method will lead to more engaging meetings while adding a level of predictability to our schedules—a true win-win.
The first video discusses effective strategies to minimize unnecessary meetings and maximize productivity.
The second video explores the importance of efficient meeting agendas and how to keep discussions focused and relevant.