A meeting must be intended to cause something, or the existence of the meeting should be questioned.
So… The next time you get invited to a meeting, ask the organiser what the meeting is intended to cause.
Use the word ’cause’, not some other word or synonym.
Try it and notice what reaction you get.
Very often, people will struggle to say what their meeting is designed to cause, and in my experience, this means it will be unfocused and ineffective. Alternatively, they may know what they want it to cause but be unwilling to share. Hmmm…
Once you know what a meeting has been convened to cause, you can decide if you want to attend all of it, or some of it, or just get the action points by email.
Here are some more thoughts on what to do when invited to a meeting.
My best wishes, Paul
