Meetings Kill Your Productivity. Here's How to Fix It. by@syedbalkhi

As entrepreneurs, we have way too many meetings. Whether it's one-off events or the weekly check-in with employees, meetings can take up a great deal of valuable time. Not to mention, they're ahuge productivity killer.

But removing meetings isn't always the best way to take back your time. Here are some tips thathelped me be more efficient with my meetings.

1. Create a Time Block for Meetings

The worst thing you can do is allow meetings to dictate your day.

Often people have inefficient gaps between meetings (i.e 30 minutes - 1 hour). This is a hugeproductivity killer.

By the time you get off your meeting, start on your next task, you're disrupted with the alert for yourupcoming meeting.

This is why I have a dedicated time block for meetings. It allows me to work in focused batcheswhere I'm in my zone without any distractions.

You can experiment with the length of the block based on your needs, but my advice is to only have1 block on any given day for meetings. If your schedule permits, then limit the meeting time blocksto only certain days versus having one every day.

This technique allows you to better plan your day and maximize your productivity.

2. Use a Scheduling App to Save Time and Avoid No-Shows

Don't have a secretary or virtual assistant? Then you probably understand the pain of schedulingmeetings.

The email back-and-forth you go through to come up with a time that works for everyone is time-consuming. Worst when that time is spent in vain due to a no-show because someone forgot to senda calendar invite or a reminder email.

This is why you should use a meeting scheduling app. I use Calendly which is a free app withpremium options. It integrates into my Google Calendar, sends personalized notifications once ameeting is booked, and also send automated reminders.

If you spend 30 minutes every week in the email back-and-forth to book meetings, then this will saveyou a total of 26 hours (1,560 minutes) every year.

When you are ready to book a meeting, instead of playing email tag, just send them your Calendlylink. It will show them the times that are available on your schedule, so they can pick what worksbest for them and schedule a meeting.

3. Reduce Your Meeting Lengths

Your meetings should always produce a committed action plan. I find it is easier to accomplish thiswith shorter, focused meetings versus long meetings that tend to be all over the place. You shouldreduce the meeting length to maximum 45 minutes. Try for 30 minutes or even 15 minutes.

You may think it's not possible, but it is as long as you stay on point. Shorter meeting lengths reallyforce others to come prepared specially if you are strict with your start/end time.

This brings me to my next point.

4. Start and End Meetings on Agreed-Upon Times

You should always start and end the meeting on time regardless of people who are late. At thebeginning of the meeting, ensure that the desired outcome(s) are stated clearly. When possible, leadthe conversation to ensure that your goals are met and the meeting ends on time. This will allow youto set the right standard within your company.

What tips do you use to make your meetings more productive?

P.S. you should also check out my article on 5 productivity hacks every busy entrepreneur shouldtry.

This post originally appeared on SyedBalkhi.com, and is re-published with permission.

Syed Balkhi is an entrepreneur and a public speaker. His passion revolves around helpingbusinesses succeed. He is known for his creative marketing skills and web development experience.He is the founder of WPBeginner and List25 sites that have been featured on NYTimes, Mashable,Huffington Post, Business Insider and TechCrunch.

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