Meetings that matter
Time is our most finite resource. A truism but, nonetheless, one we routinely ignore.
In our personal lives, we feel it when something we had planned no longer happens because time ran out.
At work, the signal looks different: endless meetings, packed calendars and the fatigue that comes from never having space to think. Most of us operate in a meeting-heavy culture.
This lesson looks at how to restore proportion.
Not every topic needs a real-time meeting. By designing meetings that earn their place, you protect attention, energy and time for yourself and for others.
The cost of defaulting to meetings
It’s easy to calculate the visible cost of meetings - multiply hours by hourly rate.. What’s harder to measure is how much of that time produces value - and how much is quietly wasted.
Meetings also carry hidden costs:
the focus lost before they start
the energy drained during
the time it takes to recover after.
When clarity is low, meetings multiply. Something is confusing? “Let’s meet to clarify”. A deadline slips? “Let’s meet to understand why”.
The reflex to schedule becomes the substitute for thoughtful communication. Every block on your calendar is a trade-off - of attention, energy, and mental space -and treating that time with discipline is one of the most respectful things you can do for yourself and for others.
The meeting value test
Before scheduling or accepting a meeting, pause for a short test. Ask yourself four questions:
Is this meeting about a decision, a design or a relationship? Every meeting should serve at least one of these purposes.
Could the same outcome be achieved asynchronously? If yes, write instead of meet.
Who genuinely needs to attend? Fewer voices mean faster clarity.
What will success look like when it ends? A meeting should conclude with an outcome, not simply reach the top of the hour.
If a meeting fails two or more of these questions, it probably shouldn’t exist.
Designing meetings that earn their place
Define the purpose - the outcome, not the topic.
Prepare - circulate materials at least 24 hours in advance; reading is cheaper than listening.
Invite intentionally - only those who decide or contribute.
End early when done - stop treating the clock as a contract.
Document the outcome - a one-page recap can prevent a follow-up meeting.
When meetings are necessary, design them intentionally.
Example in practice
BeforeThe Kill-Keep Audit
If you lead a team or have influence over how time is spent, run a quick Kill or Keep audit.
List your recurring meetings.
For each one, evaluate its purpose, format and expected outcome.
Ask yourself whether it could be replaced by a written update, a shared dashboard or an automated report.
Label each meeting Keep, Redesign, or Retire.
You’ll quickly see patterns. Some meetings drive real progress; others merely move time around.
An alternative to meetings - Async Work
Asynchronous work happens without everyone being present at the same time. It aims to solve much of what meetings attempt to do, at a fraction of the cost.
When done well, async removes pressure from communication and replaces it with precision. A written update captures the facts, the reasoning and the decision points. It allows readers to process, think and respond thoughtfully rather than react quickly.
Async work reduces interruptions, which means fewer context switches and less cognitive residue. It levels the playing field for distributed teams by giving everyone time to contribute, not just the fastest speaker or the loudest voice.
It naturally documents knowledge because decisions live in writing, not memory. And it respects the natural variation in energy and focus that people experience throughout the day. Not everyone does their best thinking in the same hour, and async gives room for that diversity of rhythm.
Async work can't and it shouldn't replace every meeting. Human connection, relationship building and complex discussions still deserve real-time interaction.
The question is how much of what currently fills our calendars could be simplified through clearer writing and better trust. If most of your meetings are about sharing information or getting approvals, there’s a good chance they can be replaced with well-written, accessible updates.
Reflection
Take a moment to examine your own calendar.
Which meetings could disappear without consequence?
Which could be shorter, merged, or handled asynchronously?
And, most importantly, if you reclaimed even two hours a week, how would you use that time - to focus, to learn or simply for you?
Reclaiming time is not rebellion; it’s responsibility.