Meetings are the most expensive form of communication: one hour of a five-person meeting is five working hours. Yet most companies hold them out of habit – with no agenda, no conclusions, and too many attendees. The good news: a few simple rules cut meetings in half and double their value.
First: do you even need a meeting?
A meeting is justified when you need a discussion, a decision, or live coordination. For sharing information (project status, updates), a short written message everyone reads in their own time is enough. Before you schedule a meeting, ask yourself: could this be a single paragraph in a message?
Before the meeting: 4 rules
- An agenda in advance: 2–3 items and the desired outcome of each (a decision, a list of ideas, a confirmed plan). A meeting without an agenda is a chat with a calendar slot.
- Only the necessary attendees: every extra person makes the meeting more expensive and slows down decisions. The rest can get the minutes.
- 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60: shorter default slots create healthy urgency and leave a break between back-to-back meetings.
- Materials in advance: if there is something to read, send it beforehand. Reading a document together during the meeting is the most expensive reading in the world.
During the meeting: 3 rules
- Start on time – even if not everyone has arrived. Waiting for latecomers rewards lateness and punishes the punctual.
- One facilitator, one note-taker: the facilitator holds the agenda and time, the note-taker records the decisions. Off-agenda topics go to a „parking lot“ for next time.
- End with conclusions: in the last five minutes, repeat what was decided and who does what by when.
After the meeting: minutes in three lines
Minutes are not a transcript of the conversation, but a list of tasks: who – what – by when. Send them within an hour of the meeting, while the memory is fresh. A task without a name and a deadline is not a task, but a wish.
Standing and walking meetings
Do short daily check-ins (10–15 minutes) standing up – sitting stretches conversations out. Move one-on-one talks to a walk: movement loosens thinking and removes screens. Our location by Tivoli Park is ideal for walking meetings – one lap along the Jakopič Promenade takes just the right 20 minutes.
A meeting room that works for you
For client meetings, the impression counts: a quiet room, a large screen, good coffee. At makerSP_CE the meeting room is included in the membership, and external visitors can also rent it on its own. Booking takes a minute – no receptions and no hidden costs.
Frequently asked questions
How many meetings a day is still healthy?
Fewer than you think. If meetings take up more than half the day, only the evenings are left for real work. Protect at least one morning a week completely free of meetings.
How do I shorten a meeting that drags on?
The facilitator sums up: „We have 10 minutes left and two open items – I suggest we decide A and park B.“ Clear structure is not rudeness; it is respect for everyone's time.
Video or in person?
Routine check-ins are faster over video, while creative workshops and sensitive conversations work better in person. For good video calls, the rule is: important decisions when everyone is equally present.
Conclusion
An effective meeting has a reason, an agenda, a real facilitator and minutes with tasks. Everything else can be a message. Introduce these rules for one week – and see how many hours come back to you.
Book your spot at makerSP_CE
Coworking makerSP_CE, Pivovarniška ulica 6, Ljubljana (next to Tivoli Park). Fixed price, no notice period, 24/7 access and free parking.
Web: makerspace.si | Email: rezervacije@makerspace.si | Phone: +386 30 393 405