5 Alternatives to Outlook Invites: Reduce Unnecessary Meetings

Have you ever dreamt of becoming a human calendar app? That’s the unintentional reality of many mid-level and executive managers. Your days are a glorious montage of "synergy sessions" and "action item deep dives". Ie., unnecessary meetings with a fancy vocabulary problem. 

Sure, everyone on the team is "in the loop," but by the time you escape the meeting vortex, your brain feels like mush and your to-do list mocks you from the corner. In fact, we've found a whopping 75% of meeting leaders have never been trained! Inexperienced meeting leaders drain your organization of time, energy, and talent, leading to meeting overload and unhappy employees.

Meetings are the office version of a black hole - they suck in your time, creativity, and will to live. Isn't it time we stopped worshipping at the altar of the conference room and got back to, you know, actually doing work? That's why we compiled this list of alternatives to scheduling meetings, to boost your productivity! 

Beyond Meetings: 5 Alternatives for Effective Communication 

The good news is that meetings aren't always the answer. Here are better meeting alternatives to consider, designed to allow you to spend less time in meetings: 

1. Start with a Question: What are you trying to accomplish? Dr. Steven Rogelberg’s research suggests that if you start with a question, you’re more likely to accomplish your objective and end the meeting earlier.

   1. Bonus Tip: If you can’t come up with a question you need answered, you likely don’t need a meeting in the first place! 

2. Chat Async! Write down or record what you’re looking to accomplish and start with a simple Teams Chat or Slack to confirm the relevance and the right stakeholders, ensuring that the meetings are concise and targeted. You might even solve the problem right then and there.

   1. Sharing a document ahead of time prompts employees to gather necessary information, develop informed questions, and propose solutions before the meeting, leading to more productive and focused discussions. 

3. “Drive By”: For both in-person or remote clarification, try the traditional “drive-by” and drop by a peer’s desk. In a remote setting, a quick huddle or screen share may resolve the need for a meeting in minutes.

   1. Bonus tip: record a quick video and share it with the meeting attendees beforehand.

   2. Recorded content allows team members to review information at their own pace. It also allows for questions and clarifications to be addressed asynchronously, enhancing overall communication and productivity.

4. Live Co-Working: Platforms like Microsoft 365, Airtable, Notion and others allow teams to work together on documents in real time, eliminating the need for lengthy discussions about edits or revisions.  

   1. Bonus Tip: A smart use of Gen AI can act as a powerful thought partner! Summarize, identify & challenge assumptions made in the document and make suggestions on how to best distribute the information.

5. Decision Docs: For situations requiring a clear decision, consider creating a document outlining the options, pros and cons, and a designated space for team members to vote or provide feedback. This eliminates the back-and-forth discussions that can dominate meetings.

The Takeaway: Rethink How You Schedule Meetings 

Forget "in the loop." The key to reduce the number of meetings your organization has is picking the right tool for the job. Need a quick update? Slack it. Brainstorming session? Maybe a quick video chat with 1-2 peers. But for deep work - the kind that fuels real results - silence wins every time. 

Next time that meeting invite pops up, pause. Ask yourself: "Is this the best use of everyone's time?" Could an email, document, or focused work session achieve the same goal with better results? 

Imagine the possibilities. Uninterrupted focus. Enhanced creativity. Meetings that actually move the needle. It's time to break free from the meeting overload and reclaim your workday. 

Your team will thank you! 

Embrace productive collaboration and Join Kairos now and redefine the way you communicate and collaborate with your team!