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Time Management
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number of its participants. Be merciless when inviting people to
attend. An observation: meetings and committees function best
with six members at most. With more, the gathering becomes
less productive and more of a forum for views. Generally, the
true, often unstated purpose of such a large meeting is to pro-
tect democratic decision making (or, at least, its image).
7. Never schedule a meeting because it’s customary. Many
companies have the weekly “Monday morning conference.”
Many need it—but does yours? Or do most regularly scheduled
meetings encourage people at your workplace to think up
things to say? If so, it might be time to reconsider that tradition.
In effect, you’ll be saying no to an obligation that, ultimately,
may have minimal value.
8. Never require a group of people to work on something that
one person could do just as easily. Before you schedule any
meeting, add up the hourly salaries of all participants and multi-
ply that number by the projected meeting duration. That will
sober you up. It will also open up alternatives, like canceling the
meeting in favor of proposals that get circulated to all relevant
personnel for comments.
9. Create an environment for productivity. Use the checklist of
environmental factors (sidebar) prior to your next meeting.

Checklist of Environmental
Factors for a Meeting
❏ Is lighting conducive to productivity and mood?
❏ Would a room with windows open up the space or lead to distrac-
tions?
❏ Does the configuration of the table encourage good work commu-
nication?
❏ Are the chairs comfortable?
❏ Is the temperature favorable for concentration?
❏ Are audiovisuals in place?
❏ Do drinks, snacks, and décor make the room user-friendly?
❏ Is the room free from all but essential interruptions?