Just in Time Meeting Attendance

OK - I've about had it.  A person who asked me to establish a meeting with him has request to move our meeting for the third time.  He is constantly in meetings and other meetings are taking priority.  I understand that he's got stuff to do, but this is getting ridiculous.  His admin is embarrased to talk to me.

So, I've come up with the most insightful and productive new idea I've had in a while - the Just in time Meeting attendance plan.  Here's the idea - Rather than show up for a meeting and sit through the entire thing, demand that the meeting have an agenda and that the facilitator or leader of the meeting stick as closely to the agenda as possible.  When the parts of the meeting you need or want to attend are complete, get up and leave.  I know this may sound a bit rude, but is it really worth your time and your sanity to simply continue to sit in meetings where stuff is being discussed that a) is not relevant for you b) you don't have anything to add to or c) you could care less about? 

Many of us stay in meetings where there's little left for us to do simply out of fear that leaving will be intrepreted as lack of interest  or for fear we'll get assigned stuff if we are not there to defend our turf.  But that's not the best use of your time, now is it?

Imagine holding a meeting where the agenda was tight and you could enter or leave as you were needed.  Imagine being confident that you could enter a meeting 30 minutes after it started, show up just in time to deliver news or listen to the part of the meeting you needed to, and then leave when there was no real reason to remain.  That would be true just in time meeting attendance.

Look, if Toyota can have axles and door frames show up exactly when they are needed in the manufacturing process of your next Camry, and can coordinate thousands of suppliers to have parts delivered just when they are needed on the plant floor to minimize investment and cost, why can't we do the same?  In a time when labor costs are the largest cost element in most businesses, are we being as efficient as we can be with meetings?

Try this:  plan your next meeting and rather than invite everyone to show up for the entire event, publish a schedule and have people come in only when they are needed, and invite them to leave if there's nothing more they can contribute.  It will be more productive for you and for them, but you've got to be able to stick to an agenda.  But since you are a highly productive person, you already publish an agenda for your meetings and stick closely to it, right?

Wink, Wink, nudge, nudge.  Say no more.

Comments

[Jason]

Great post! I work for Toyota, so I loved the maunfacturing reference.

[Bert]

I've tried to use a version of the tactic personally for years. When there was a meeting that I was invited to attend, I always asked the facilitator what I had to contribute. If I had a limited role in the meeting I would ask that I be moved up in the agenda and then left after my contribution.

[carrie]

I work in an organization - a government agency none-the-less - which has been holding just-in-time meetings for years, with great success. So, it's not a new idea, but it is a great one.

[Paul]

We do this at some of the meetings at my workplace. Sometimes it's planned proactively , and if you ever ask to appear only for your relevant parts, everyone will work with you.

It's not quite the JIT tight-agenda meeting you describe (which I envision to run like a Swiss watch) but it is sure helpful.

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Like I said, my experience comes a time when labor costs are the highest cost item in most companies.