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Cutting back on meeting prep was a game changer for me | Career Advice - Free To Speak

Cutting back on meeting prep was a game changer for me

I used to write a lot of notes before every team check-in. It took my mornings and made me worried. So I stopped and began just writing three main points. My input is clearer now, and I have time for real work.

4 comments

4 Comments

finleyl396mo ago

Honestly, watching someone present a deck of 50 slides for a ten minute check-in is a special kind of torture. It's like they're trying to win an Oscar for "Most Prepared Employee" instead of just telling us the blocker. My old boss used to bring printed handouts to a daily standup. We'd all just nod while secretly planning our lunch orders. How do people even find the time for that?

sean516mo ago

Calling it "a special kind of torture" seems a bit over the top, doesn't it? Maybe that person just gets nervous and over prepares as a safety net. I see what price.ben is saying about three bullets being cleaner, but not everyone works that way. Sometimes people just haven't figured out how to trim things down yet. The real problem is when it wastes everyone's time, but is it really that deep?

ivan7746mo ago

Watching people over-prepare for basic meetings is honestly painful. I used to write full scripts for ten minute chats and it made me sound weird and robotic. Swapping to just a couple quick bullets on a sticky note changed everything for me. Tbh it forces you to get to the point instead of hiding behind a bunch of fluff. Now I actually remember what I need to say because I'm not reading off a page. Feels like you get your brain back.

price.ben6mo ago

Totally been there with over-preparing and it just eats up your day. Sticking to three bullets forces you to figure out what actually matters before you talk. It turns meetings into a quick sync instead of a big presentation. You end up sounding more sure of yourself because you're not buried in pages of notes.