1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 2: Good Morning. 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to schedule meetings for fifty minutes, not sixty. 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: That way, people can get where they're going and more 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: meetings can start on time. As I have studied corporate 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: schedules over the years, I have been fascinated to see 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: how most organizations, or at least most individual people, have 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: some sort of default length for their meetings. Some places 11 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: set the default at thirty minutes, but sixty minutes tends 12 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: to be the most common. Because people wind up in 13 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: a lot of meetings, many of these meetings get scheduled 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: back to back. This is a problem because if you 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: are in a meeting that runs from nine to ten 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: and another one that runs from ten to eleven, you 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: are expected to be in two different meetings at precisely 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: ten am, and if the meetings are in different places, 19 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: this is a physical impossibility. But even if both meetings 20 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: are by video conference, and even if the first ends 21 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: precisely on time, you will still be a minute late 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 1: to the second because it takes a non zero amount 23 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 1: of time to log in. You also won't have time 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: to use the restroom or make any notes about follow 25 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: ups from the first meeting, which means those to dos 26 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: may fade to the back of your mind until they 27 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: urgently boil back up. And of course, mini meetings do 28 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: not end on time. That makes people even later for 29 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: all subsequent meetings, so all meetings after the first start 30 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: in a discombobulated way, as you do decide whether to 31 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: wait for the late comers or shift the agenda accordingly. Fortunately, 32 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: this is a comparatively easy problem to solve. Indeed, it 33 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: is a problem that most high schools have solved. You 34 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: need to create a passing period between scheduled events so 35 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: people can get from one commitment to another. If you 36 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: are in a leadership role at your organization, one obvious 37 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: way to do this is to set the norm of 38 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: having meetings start on the hour and end at ten minutes. 39 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 2: Until the hour. That is, they are. 40 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: All fifty minutes long instead of sixty minutes long. That way, 41 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: even participants with back to back meetings aren't inevitably late 42 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: for all of their meetings of the day. 43 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: Except the first. 44 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: You can even encourage staff to adjust their outlook settings 45 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: to shorten the duration of all events. So that meetings 46 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: default to a specific amount of time before the hour. 47 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: A few organizations choose a corollary to this idea, that is, 48 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: all meetings start ten minutes after the hour and end 49 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: on the hour. That can also work, but it is 50 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: slightly less intuitive to explain to people outside the organization. 51 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: So I like on the hour and ending ten minutes 52 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: till now. It is true that fifty minutes is less 53 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: than sixty minutes, and if you were accustomed to filling 54 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: every single one of those sixty minutes efficiently in all 55 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: of your meetings, then you may have to rethink things. 56 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: But in my experience, there are very few corporate meetings 57 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: that were scheduled for sixty minutes but that could not 58 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: take fifty Indeed, since many meetings start late because of 59 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: latecomers from previs meetings, the material may often be taking 60 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: closer to fifty minutes. Anyway, as people get antsy once 61 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: the clock strikes the hour and they know they need 62 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: to go to the next thing. Best to acknowledge this now. 63 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: If you are not in a leadership role, this might 64 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: be a bit harder to establish, but you can certainly 65 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: make it happen for any meetings that are under your control. 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: If you know people are going to be late, plan 67 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: on starting at five minutes after the hour and then 68 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: end ten minutes before. Yep, that means turning your sixty 69 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: minute meetings into forty five minute ones. But hey, you 70 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: listen to this podcast. You thrive on doing things effectively. 71 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:51,239 Speaker 1: I am betting that you could figure it out. Of course, 72 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: in the grand scheme of things, it. 73 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 2: Would be better to just have fewer meetings. 74 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: Ideally, when a meeting happens, it is because something needs 75 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: to change in the world that can only result from 76 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: bringing those people together. The length of the meeting is 77 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: determined by what needs to happen, and not by some 78 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: arbitrary clock time. If you need twenty minutes, you set 79 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: the meeting for twenty minutes. If you need thirty seven 80 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: point five minutes, you ask for that, and everyone is 81 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: going to assume your agenda is incredibly well thought through. 82 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: But if that is not going to happen, the next 83 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: best solution is to shorten all meetings just a little. 84 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: People won't be late, they can catch their breath, they 85 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: can think about what just happened, and then they can 86 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: start the next thing. This is a fairly simple fix 87 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: that can have a big impact in terms of increasing 88 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: focus and avoiding a sense of being overwhelmed. In the meantime, 89 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's. 90 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 2: To making the most of our time. 91 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 92 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 93 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before 94 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. 95 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 96 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled 97 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. 98 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 2: Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 99 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 100 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 101 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.