Meetings are a waste of time

Here is some data that would make your day First a survey that suggests Businesses Waste 4.8 Hours Per Week Scheduling Meetings:

By the time the year ends, many have spent the cumulative equivalent of six weeks scheduling meetings, and that doesn’t include time spent attending them.

That sounds excessive and not realistic. But what do I know… On the same note, here are some suggestions from HBR to improve reduce waste with my 2 cents added:

Meetings always shorter than 90 minutes
Meeting materials delivered at least day before and everyone comes prepared
One page executive summary for the briefing package that everyone must read
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each participant in the meeting (no one attends the meeting unless they have a stake)
Predefined agenda for the meeting (no meeting requests without agenda)
Clear conclusion at the end of the meeting (As per HBR: Where are we going to go from here? What are the to-dos and who is going to do them? When will they be delivered?)

I remember reading and article about how P&G’s strategic reviews took place. The business unit sent out the briefing package at least a week before the review. All obvious questions were discussed over email. The meeting was for making decisions and having real debates. I really like that idea.