How I Work My Favourite Tip: Rice University Professor Scott Sonenshein on how to dramatically improve meetings
4 snips
Jan 18, 2021 
Scott Sonenshein, a Rice University Professor and New York Times bestselling author, shares his insights on transforming meeting culture. He emphasizes the importance of questioning the necessity of meetings and suggests actively engaging with organizers to enhance relevance. The conversation introduces the POA strategy—Purpose, Agenda, and Outcomes—aimed at streamlining meetings and boosting productivity. Listeners will learn how to navigate workplace dynamics more effectively and reduce unnecessary commitments.
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Assess Meetings Critically
- Evaluate each meeting you attend by its necessity, contribution to your goals, and joy it brings.
- Use index cards to assess and decide which meetings to keep or try to skip.
Use Agenda to Exit Meetings
- Overcome meeting FOMO by realizing meetings aren't a scorecard but a place to get work done.
- Ask organizers for agendas to open dialogue and evaluate if your attendance is truly needed.
Meeting FOMO Is Self-Imposed
- Meeting FOMO is a self-imposed fear that absence equals missing out or being undervalued.
- Realize that meetings must produce work results rather than serve as measures of effort.
