If you feel like half your week is spent in pointless meetings, you’re not alone. The average employee spends an estimated 16 hours a month in unproductive meetings.
That’s two full workdays lost to vague agendas and unclear outcomes.
This is a form of waste, and in a creative or technical environment, it’s a design flaw. But what if we applied the principles of Lean manufacturing to our meeting culture? What if we ruthlessly hunted for waste and instead built a system for purposeful collaboration?
Here is a 5-step manifesto for turning meetings from a time-sink into a value-generating event.
Step 1: The Pre-Mortem
Before you send that calendar invite, define the “Desired Outcome” (DO). This is the single, tangible result of the meeting. It’s the most critical step.
Instead of writing “Discuss Q3 Projections,” make it: “Decide on final Q3 marketing budget, validate top 3 project priorities, and assign a lead for each.” This simple change ensures every attendee knows their purpose before they even walk in, eliminating guesswork and irrelevant conversation.
Step 2: The Agenda as a Kanban Board
A static list of discussion points is a relic of the past. Your agenda should be a dynamic tool. Think of it as a mini-Kanban board, with columns for “To Discuss,” “Discussing,” and “Decided.”
This makes progress visible and keeps the team focused. Assign a time-box for each item (e.g., 10 minutes for Project A) and a clear owner. If the time limit is reached and a decision isn’t made, table it for later. A difficult task when in the heat of discussion, especially when you feel like you are getting somewhere, but critical to ensuring you close out the meeting on-time.
Step 3: The Gemba Walk, For Your Team
In a traditional Lean environment, a “Gemba walk” means going to the actual place where the work happens, to see the process in action. For a meeting, this means staying grounded in reality.
Instead of talking about a problem in the abstract, use visuals, prototypes, or data to make the problem tangible.
If you’re discussing a website redesign, pull up the live site. If you’re reviewing a design, have it on screen. This anchors the conversation in the reality of the work, and makes it harder to get lost in hypotheticals.
Step 4: The Takeaway
If nothing is decided, nothing is gained. Every single meeting should end with clear, assigned action items. Create a shared “Action Register” (a simple spreadsheet will do) to document:
- Action: What needs to be done?
- Owner: Who is responsible?
- Due Date: When must it be completed?
This is the cornerstone of accountability and ensures the meeting’s value isn’t lost to memory as soon as you log off.
Step 5: The Post-Mortem
After the meeting, take 5 minutes to review.
- What went well?
- What could be improved for next time?
Use this feedback to continuously refine your meeting process.
This commitment to continuous improvement is what will truly transform your meetings over time.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Please reply with your comments and share for more reach and engagement.
#Lean #Management #Productivity #WasteNot #LeanIntoDesign
LeanintoDesign 
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