Too many meetings? Get your time back with these 5 simple steps
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Too many meetings? Get your time back with these 5 simple steps
Holly Aspinall
14 January 2025
7 min read
Holly Aspinall
14 January 2025
7 min read
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Signs of meeting overload
How to reduce meetings in five steps
Conclusion
If your company has too many meetings, we’re here to help! Here’s how to identify the signs of meeting overload and start streamlining your workday.
'This could have been an email!' How many times have you been in a meeting and thought this to yourself? Don't worry, we’ve all been there.
Meeting overload is draining, and ends up sapping productivity rather than improving it. But how do you overcome it? Our five-step guide will help you trim down your meetings so you can finally focus on the work that matters.
For a better alternative to the traditional meeting, check out our guide on asynchronous meetings.
Meeting overload is draining, and ends up sapping productivity rather than improving it. But how do you overcome it? Our five-step guide will help you trim down your meetings so you can finally focus on the work that matters.
For a better alternative to the traditional meeting, check out our guide on asynchronous meetings.
What are the signs of meeting overload?
How do you know for sure if you’re drowning in too many meetings? Here are a few common signs:
- You’re struggling to get meaningful work done: With back-to-back meetings and context switching interrupting your flow, you might be struggling to put a dent in your task list.
- You keep hearing the same thing over and over: Are the same topics being rehashed in multiple meetings?
- You dread your meetings: If you’re beginning to resent meetings, and feel drained all the time, it’s a tell-tale sign you’ve got too many calls.
How to reduce meetings in five steps
So you know you’ve got a meeting overload problem. Now what? Our five-step guide will help you take stock of the meetings that matter and say goodbye to the rest.
Step 1: Evaluate the necessity of each meeting
This first step is about cutting out meetings that don’t serve a meaningful purpose. Go through each of your meetings and ask yourself these three questions:
- Does this meeting have a clear goal? Every meeting should have a specific purpose and an outcome that couldn’t be achieved elsewhere.
- Are the right people involved? Avoid scheduling 'all-hands' or inviting unnecessary team members.
- Is this meeting the only way to achieve the goal? Figure out if you could replace the meeting with an email, asynchronous meeting, or quick conversation on an app like Slack.
If you answer 'yes' to all three of these questions, you’ve identified an essential meeting to keep!
Step 2: Streamline essential meetings
Now you’ve identified your key meetings, it’s time to make them work better for you and the rest of your team. Here are a few tips.
If you’re hosting the meeting:
- Set a clear agenda (and share it ahead of the meeting): Outline key discussion points in advance, so everyone knows what to expect and can prepare.
- Time-box discussions: Use time limits for each topic to keep things moving along and prevent over-discussion.
- Clarify next steps: Close the meeting by summarising key takeaways and action items. Be specific about who’s responsible for what and whether there are any deadlines.
If you’re attending the meeting:
- Review the agenda in advance: Look over the agenda beforehand to understand the purpose of the meeting. This also lets you prepare relevant questions ahead of time.
- Be mindful of time: Stick to time limits for any updates or questions. If a discussion is running over, consider suggesting a follow-up after the meeting or taking it offline.
- Clarify action items or follow-ups: At the end of the meeting, double-check any follow-up tasks assigned to you. If you’re not sure about anything, ask for clarification before leaving.
Step 3: Replace less important meetings with asynchronous communication
Not every update needs to happen in real time. Here’s how you can shift to asynchronous options.
Meeting hosts, here are three alternative formats and when to use them:
- Team messaging apps: Use team messaging apps for quick updates, simple questions, or decisions that don’t require detailed discussions.
- Project management software: Use tools like Confluence, Trello, and Jira to organise project progress updates, task assignments, or documentation.
- Recorded video updates: These are great for announcements, presentations, or complex topics that need more explanation but don’t require a real-time discussion.
Meeting attendees, here are three ways to suggest a shift to a new format:
- Frame it as a productivity boost: Emphasise the potential benefits for the team as a whole. For example, say: "I wonder if we could try handling updates via Slack to free up time for everyone’s other projects," rather than focusing on yourself.
- Ask for flexibility on attendance: If you think your involvement isn’t critical, consider asking if you can send an update in advance and review the meeting notes afterwards instead. This way, you show you’re committed to staying informed without needing to be in the meeting.
- Request a trial period: If the meeting organiser is hesitant, propose a short trial of an asynchronous option. For instance, you could ask to try an alternative format for a couple of weeks and then follow up with a review. This low-stakes approach can make it easier for someone to consider a change.
Step 4: Establish 'meeting-free' time blocks
Scheduling 'meeting-free' time blocks can make a world of difference. They give you a chance to focus on tasks without interruptions, which boosts productivity and reduces stress.
Here’s how to create time dedicated to your meaningful work:
Here’s how to create time dedicated to your meaningful work:
- Set weekly 'focus hours' in your calendar: Dedicate blocks of time, like a few hours each morning, where meetings aren’t allowed.
- Let team members know you won’t be available: Make your calendar visible to your team so they can see you’re not free, drop them a message in a shared channel, or update your status on your company’s messaging platform to keep everyone informed and manage expectations.
- Establish boundaries: Explain to your team why your meeting-free time blocks matter and how they improve your productivity. Do your best to stick to your time blocks and, when possible, ask colleagues to move a meeting if it conflicts with your focus time.
Step 5: Review regularly
Don’t forget to regularly review your calendar! New meetings will crop up all the time, and old meetings may no longer be working as effectively as they once were.
Set aside some time at a regular interval, such as every month or quarterly. Use step 1 of our guide to steer you and help you identify any redundant meetings or those that could use a little more streamlining.
Set aside some time at a regular interval, such as every month or quarterly. Use step 1 of our guide to steer you and help you identify any redundant meetings or those that could use a little more streamlining.
Conclusion
Reducing meeting overload doesn’t mean eliminating all meetings; it’s about keeping the valuable ones and finding smart alternatives for the rest. With the right balance, you’ll create a workplace where teams can focus, collaborate meaningfully, and feel more engaged in their work.
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Written by
Holly Aspinall
Content Marketing Manager
As an experienced Content Marketing Manager, Holly is dedicated to writing valuable, accessible guides that help users understand their tools better and get more out of their workday.
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