Have you reviewed all your recurring meetings in the last six months and cut some?

List every recurring meeting, then keep, shorten, make async or drop each one. Most people find two to four hours a week.

How to automate it

How to automate “sit in cross-team coordination meetings”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

60 min

typically, a few times a week

40%

of the time can be automated

Easy

to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Process fixBest fix

Audit your recurring meetings and cut or shorten them

Most calendars carry meetings nobody would create today. A one-off review usually removes a few hours a week.

Typically saves about 30% of the time45 min to set up

1List every recurring meeting you attend and why.
2For each, decide: keep, shorten (25 or 50 minutes), make async, or drop.
3Ask each organizer for an agenda and a named decision-maker.
4Send someone else or read the notes for meetings where you only listen.

Tools: Your calendar · Microsoft Viva Insights or Google Calendar time insights

Fix 2 of 2

Process fix

Replace the status meeting with a written update

Everyone posts three lines in a shared thread before a set time; you only meet when something is blocked.

Typically saves about 60% of the time15 min to set up

1Agree a format: done, next, blocked.
2Create a channel or a thread that repeats every week.
3Ask everyone to post by a set time; the lead reads them and replies to the blockers.
4Keep a shorter meeting only for the blockers, or cancel it outright.

Tools: Slack, Teams or email

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you reviewed all your recurring meetings in the last six months and cut some?: List every recurring meeting, then keep, shorten, make async or drop each one. Most people find two to four hours a week.

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

Operations manager Project manager Program manager / PMO

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