[rank_math_breadcrumb]

Stop inviting everyone to your meeting!

  • York, City of York, England, United Kingdom

Author:  Leon Bamforth

Short Description

I was fantasising about a new Outlook feature today. No really, I  am that sad! Here was my fantasy, Stop inviting everyone whenever you create a new meeting event, there is a little box showing the estimated meeting cost. This cost should double as you double the length of the meeting and also double when […]

I was fantasising about a new Outlook feature today. No really, I  am that sad! Here was my fantasy, Stop inviting everyone whenever you create a new meeting event, there is a little box showing the estimated meeting cost.

This cost should double as you double the length of the meeting and also double when you add people to the meeting. I want it to come complete with a “ker-ching” sound each time it increases. Then before you send the meeting invite I want the software to ask you, “Is the problem you are trying to resolve at this meeting more valuable than the meeting cost?”

Whilst we are still meeting remotely, it is easier than ever to invite every man, woman and child* with a work email account to our meeting. At least when we were in the office, the physical size of the space we could find to have the meeting constrained our inclusive tendencies to invite everyone.
Effectively now there is no limit. Whilst attending those meetings I often whittle away the time by totting up in my head the actual cost someone is paying to enable that meeting to go ahead. Someone is paying the salary of everyone there. I then count how many of the 53 attendees actually joined in the discussion. I have been on meetings where the meeting length and the number and seniority of attendees meant the meeting cost will have run into the tens of thousands.

Stop inviting everyone to your meeting!

I’ve changed my mind. Rather than showing an estimated meeting cost we should just have a rule that the meeting organiser must eat a donut for every attendee that doesn’t speak. The first one or two will be tasty but I guarantee after donut 43 you will never invite someone “just in case” again so Stop inviting everyone.

It might feel comforting to have everyone there, “just in case” but there is always an opportunity cost for inviting people to a meeting and maybe, just maybe, they have something better to do…like their job.

The number of times I hear people say “I’m just in meetings back to back, when do I get the chance to do any work?” The point is, it can be really (really) stressful for people when they don’t feel they have time to produce some valuable output and it is incredibly demoralising. It turns out we naturally want to be valuable. That’s a good thing and we should encourage it by Stop inviting everyone.

I think we should have a meeting to discuss this proposal. Are you with me?
* If you have children working for you, there are laws against that so stop it.
Stop inviting everyone article by LEON BAMFORTH

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to Stop inviting everyone to your meeting!

Let’s be honest, when it comes to sex, sexual intimacy and relationships, there are multiple views as to what is acceptable, how many times a week we should be doing it, how many partners we have had in the past and whether we should disclose this or keep our skeletons in the closet.   Statistics […]

  • Author: Paula Quinsee
EVENTS MUST ALWAYS HOST

We are all ordinary and can ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY. Every single one of us is an ordinary person who has a set of talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences to work with. Whether we turbocharge those into greatness or lie on the couch is usually entirely up to us. But to start with, we are all […]

  • Author: Lucy Bloom
Candice Mama

“They say with trauma, the mind may forget but the body never forgets” and here this Candice Mama covers Releasing Trauma Through the Body with Chen Lizra This week on #CoffeeWithCandice I speak to Chen Lizra she is a phenomenal embodiment of empowered femininity, she is a Somatic intelligence coach, a Tedx speaker with nearly […]

  • Author: Candice Mama
WS Logo 512

A lack to Build Your Resilience is a massive factor that holds you back from achieving the success you desire. Think of the last time you gave up on a diet, a fitness regime, or a really important prospecting plan in your business. Unfortunately, when you don’t see immediate results, or when the going gets […]

  • Author: Grant Gavin
Noah St. John

The Character Ethic vs. The Personality Ethic – Why Character Trumps Personality As Stephen Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, most of the success literature published in the United States for the first century and a half after 1776 focused on The Character Ethic as being the underlying foundation of how a person can live an influential, […]

  • Author: Noah St. John
Josh Linkner

We all want to come up with the BIG Little Breakthroughs and the winning idea, solve the challenging problem, or invent something major that will become a staple for generations to come. Under pressure, it’s easy to freeze up and procrastinate. We get the false assumption that the only ideas that are important are the BIG […]

  • Author: Josh Linkner
Joshua M Evans

In organizational culture, there are two types of people: those who look for reasons to be offended, and those who look for ways to understand others. The former type tends to lash out at coworkers, saying cruel things in private or criticizing them in public. They seek revenge on their managers if they feel they […]

  • Author: Joshua M Evans
WS Logo 512

Value is the differentiator as Great businesses are not merely built on service but exceptional service and great customer experience; and an important element of their success is the VALUE IS THE DIFFERENTIATOR they deliver to their customers.  Great businesses understand that for them to thrive and survive, they need to be constantly focusing on […]

  • Author: Femi Adebanji

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME