7 Ways To Avoid A Meeting In The Workplace And Actually Get Things Done
We sometimes find ourselves in endless meetings during the course of our working day, resulting in incomplete work. This is an insane way of operating, and we should consider avoiding such gatherings in order to be more productive in actually accomplishing what we set out to achieve, rather than just talking about it. Some meetings have no aim and a muddled agenda of jargon that you are unlikely to understand. Here are a few ideas to help you avoid time wasters and get back to work.
1. Block out your calendar completely
Add false meeting requests to your calendar and block out your entire week, using some of the ideas provided below.
- Productivity meeting
- Constant improvement meeting
- Training in the theory of work ethics
- Communication and seclusion
- Understanding chaos theory in the workplace
2. Fake an urgent call
Get your mother, father, partner, or even your children to phone you from school. This will allow you to excuse yourself for any variety of reasons and depart the soulless meeting room, never to return.
3. Offer coffee during the meeting
Offer coffee at the meeting, and if people decline, say it's no problem and stroll off to the office kitchen/cafeteria. Delay yourself for as long as possible, then return apologising because there was a line for the hot water machine. Hopefully, the host will have finished the meeting by then.
4. Dragged into another meeting
Explain that you've been invited to another meeting by a higher authority. Client involvement will get you out of trouble because, after all, the customer is always right, right? Make a customer a friend or even a lover, even if you despise them. Consider how many meetings they could get you out of.
5. Decline a meeting request
Remember that you have the right to decline a meeting. If there are a large number of people attending, the host is unlikely to notice you've declined. If the invitation simply includes you and the host, and perhaps a few others, you could say that you have something more pressing to attend to, such as blowing your nose.
6. Technical issues if joining a meeting when working from home
It's a foregone conclusion. Your internet service provider will occasionally fail you and disconnect you. There is nothing you can do to stop it, yet this excuse, like a gift from the Gods, should be used sparingly. Remember, use it wisely and you'll know when the time comes, and it might well save your life.
7. Leave the meeting earlier than planned
Inform the host that, unfortunately, you have another meeting to attend halfway through the meeting. This will work whether you are at the workplace or at home. If they are involved in the meeting agenda, the host will not ask why. They won't even try to find out why you double booked because you showed up. This is also a smart choice, especially if the meeting is growing heated and people are pointing fingers at you for incompetence. Who cares whether this is true or not? You have far better things to do than sit about with a bunch of misfits, such as bidding on eBay or conversing with a colleague you like.
