15 Minute Meetings

Optimise your time with 15 minute meetings

15 minutes may be the perfect length for most meetings. With a well defined agenda, a clear purpose, and a reduced amount of chit chat, watch your productivity grow!

Let’s face it, some meetings should be emails, but some lengthy email threads can be resolved with a short conversation. There’s no avoiding the occasional catch up, but with some care, you can make sure they are short, sweet and productive.

How do I do it?

Follow the 3 Ps:

1. Purpose: There needs to be a reason to meet. What is it? Think of what the outcome should be, and this will be the single most important topic during your 15 minute meeting.
2. Preparation: Prepare 2–3 talking points for the meeting, and put it directly into the meeting agenda. This enables the participants to come prepared. Do you need to agree on something? Delegate something? Prepare your points before scheduling the meeting, and remember: all actions must have an owner.
3. Presence: During the meeting, there’s no email or chat allowed! Aside from note taking or sharing something on your screen (if you really have to), avoid computers and phones entirely. It’s only 15 minutes.

Get started

Before the meeting

1. Think of the purpose, and prepare your 2–3 talking points.
2. Book a 15 minute meeting (instead of the default 30min or 60min).
3. Use your purpose as the meeting title, to be clear on what you will meet about. Avoid vague terms like “sync” or “catch up”.
4. Prefix the title with [15min meeting] or [15MM] so your guests know what to expect. Feel free to include a handy link to this article in the description: sneub.io/15mm
5. In the agenda, include your 2–3 points, and any background or backup material. Ideally your guests can come prepared, rather than having to think of answers on the spot.
6. If you’re a guest, then read the agenda, and mentally prepare for speaking about the topics outlined.

During the meeting

1. Be present. Unless necessary for the meeting, avoid using your laptop and phone altogether. It’s only 15 minutes!
2. Get straight to the point, and avoid chit chat. If you would like to chat casually with somebody, you can grab a coffee together during all the extra time you’ll now have.

After the meeting

1. Send the meeting notes. If you are hosting the meeting, you already have a template for a follow-up email — the agenda! Simply copy and paste any notes taken during the meeting, and email a brief follow-up to the guests. For easy recovery later, you can even apply labels

Good practice

Name your meetings with the purpose behind the meeting. Here’s a couple of examples:

1. Bad: “Dylan:Sally sync”
2. Good: “Dylan:Sally Go/No-Go decision for Project Mango”

Never meet without an agenda. If nobody knows what to talk about, then you’re not ready to meet.

Cut the chit-chat. Leave it to the end of the meeting. If you finish everything with time to spare, feel free to use the extra time for discussing the local sporting event.

Stay on topic. In 15 minute meetings, there’s not much time to spare! Everyone should be empowered to jump in to keep the train on the rails.

Originally published at sneub.io/15mm