5 tips for dealing with meeting overload | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer:

Have you ever reached the end of what feels like a grueling workday

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

你可曾忙完了一整天的工作之後，

only to realize you didn’t actually accomplish anything?

卻發現你什麼都沒有完成？

That it was just meeting after meeting

整天就只是一場接著一場 接著一場接著一場的會議。

after meeting after meeting after meeting --

[The Way We Work]

〔我們工作的方式〕

(Music)

（音樂）

As a recovering corporate executive,

身為在康復中的企業主管，我知道

I know we all feel like our time isn’t our own,

我們都覺得我們的時間不是自己的，

like other people are controlling our calendars

好像有別人在控制我們的行事曆， 我們只是在因應他們的心血來潮。

and we’re simply reacting to their whims.

But calendar creep isn’t inevitable.

但行事曆蔓生並非不可避免。

There's so much in the world we can't control.

世界上有太多我們無法控制的。

我們無法控制資深領導人，

We can’t control our senior leaders,

我們無法控制客戶的需求， 我們肯定也無法控制全球疫情。

we can’t control our customer demands,

and we certainly can’t control a global pandemic.

但我們可以控制我們的時間，

But we can actually control our time,

we’ve just forgotten how to do it.

我們只是忘了要怎麼做。

I’ve come up with five, easy-to-implement steps

我想出了很容易實行的五個步驟，

that can take your calendar from working against you

可以讓你的行事曆從你的阻力

to working for you.

變成你的助力。

And they really work.

真的行得通。

We worked with a big global company

我們和一家大型全球公司合作，

and asked some of their leaders to put these tips into practice

請一些領導者實際運用 這些密訣，其他人則不用。

while others didn’t.

And guess what?

猜猜如何？

The leaders who used these steps saw significant hours open up

運用這些密訣的領導者發現 他們的行事曆出現明顯的空檔，

on their calendars

for, you know, actual work.

可以真的用來工作。

Tip number one:

密訣一：

Ask yourself, “Do you really need the meeting?”

問問你自己：

「你真的需要開這場會議嗎？」

We’re under the illusion that we need a meeting for everything.

我們有種幻覺：任何事都需要開會。

We think “I need to make sure so-and-so is OK with this

我們會想：「我得確保某某 沒問題，所以要來約個時間。」

so I’ll book time.”

Or “I’ve got a quick question on process, I’ll grab a meeting.”

或：「我想快速問個 流程的問題，來開個會吧。」

The reality is for almost half of the meetings we schedule,

現實是，我們安排的會議有將近一半

we could simply pick up the phone or shoot a text for a quick answer.

可以改成簡單打通電話 或發個訊息就能快速得到答案。

A trick to stop this:

停止這個現象的竅門：

when you’re thinking of calling a meeting,

當你在想要召開會議時，

write the invitation first.

先寫邀請函。

And if you can’t start with a subject line with an action verb,

如果填寫標題欄時，你無法 用一個行動動詞開頭，

you shouldn’t have the meeting.

就不該開這場會。

“Decide, finalize, create next steps.”

「決議」、「做最後確定」、 「設計下一步」。

Those are reasons to call a meeting.

這些才是召開會議的理由。

“Review,” on the other hand, isn’t an action verb.

反之，「檢討」並不是行動動詞。

If you're calling a meeting to review something,

如果你召開會議來檢討某件事，

send it out ahead of time

提早把它發出去，並安排 十五分鐘的會議供發問用。

and schedule a 15-minute meeting for questions.

That should get Joe to finally read the deck.

這樣應該能讓喬去看簡報內容了。

Related to that action verb,

和那行動動詞相關的一點：

if you’re going to call a meeting

如果你要召開會議，你應該 要能清楚寫出會議目的。

you should be able to create a clear purpose statement.

“In this meeting we’re going to decide boom, boom, boom.

「在這場會議中，我們會決定 砰，砰，砰。準備好再來。」

Come prepared.”

You don’t need a whole agenda;

你不需要完整的議程； 反正沒人會看它。

nobody’s going to read it anyway.

But that purpose statement is enough so that when you start,

但目的的陳述就足夠了， 當會議開始時，

everybody is sitting up, paying attention and focused on the goal.

每個人都會坐好、 投入，專注在目標上。

Tip number two:

密訣二：

invite the least number of people possible.

盡可能降低邀請人數。

Let’s be honest,

坦白說，大部分人會防禦性地 選擇要邀請誰去開會。

most of us invite people to meetings defensively.

We know that Raco’s the one we need

我們知道我們需要雷可，但若 不邀請迪昂他就會胡思亂想。

but if Dion doesn’t feel like he’s involved,

he’s going to be cranky,

所以你邀了他，然後香儂，然後珍。

so you invite him and then Shannon and then Jane.

現在我們在浪費所有這些人的時間，

And now we’re wasting all of these people’s time

instead of just going directly to the decision maker.

而不是直接去找決策者。

該放下那些小學生的恐懼了，

It’s time to let go of those grade-school fears

and just invite the people who are necessary for the objective.

只要邀請達成目標所需要的人就好。

Everyone else can be informed later.

晚點再通知其他人即可。

Let’s also agree it’s OK if we’re not invited to everything.

咱們也要知道，沒有事事 都被邀請參與也沒關係。

Research has found that the optimal size of a decision-making meeting

研究發現，決策會議最理想的規模

is around five to eight people.

是大約五到八人。

Any time you're inviting more,

只要你邀請更多人，

you're making it less likely you'll achieve your goal.

就會降低你達成目標的機率。

Tip number three:

密訣三：

讓會議短一點。

make your meetings shorter.

If you want your time back,

如果你想拿回你的時間， 丟掉一小時長的會議。

ditch the hour-long meeting.

I schedule 30- and 45-minute meetings.

我會安排三十及四十五分鐘的 會議。就這樣。沒了。

That’s it, period.

Full stop.

那樣才能讓大家有時間 消化，去想下一步，

That gives people time to digest,

figure out next steps,

then take a breath

接著喘口氣，也許，我不知道，

and maybe, I don’t know, go to the bathroom.

去上個廁所吧。

It stops that horrible snowball of lateness

這樣便能阻止可怕的 「來不及」雪球，

that rolls downhill over the course of a day.

不要讓它一整天不斷向下滾。

Tip number four:

密訣四：

say no to other’s people’s meetings.

向別人的會議說不。

We’re in the habit of saying yes to every meeting we’re invited to.

我們的習慣是被邀請 參加會議時就會說「好」。

Often we show up out of fear of missing out, or worse yet, ego.

通常我們出席的理由是怕 錯過什麼，或更糟的，自尊。

Neither of those is a reason to spend your precious time in a meeting.

兩者都不是你該把寶貴時間 花在會議上的理由。

更好的決定方式：

A better way to decide:

Ask yourself, “Is my opinion absolutely vital to the purpose of this meeting?”

問問你自己：

「我的意見對於這場會議的 目的是必要的嗎？」

Even better, “Does this meeting move my goals,

更好的是：

「這場會議能協助邁向我的目標、 我團隊的目標、我客戶的目標？」

my team’s goals or my customers’ goals forward?”

If not, just say no.

若不能，就拒絕。

Now I know what you’re thinking:

我知道你在想什麼：很難拒絕會議。

it’s hard to say no to a meeting.

But it really isn’t.

其實不難。

Simply tell the organizer the truth.

告訴發起人事實就好了。

You know that they’ve got this,

你知道他們能處理，如果 真的需要你再叫你一聲即可。

and if they need you,

simply give you a ring.

You can also use the opportunity to delegate the meeting

你也可以用這個機會把會議委託出去

to a high performer or subject matter expert

給表現好的人或這主題的專家， 他們可能本來就是更好的人選。

who may be a better choice anyway.

你甚至可以直接告訴他們， 你那週有更優先要處理的事，

You can even simply let them know you have other priorities that week

and ask if your attendance is necessary.

問他們你是否一定要出席。

All you need to do is communicate with honesty and clarity.

你只需誠實、清楚地要溝通。

Tip number five:

密訣五：要對你的時間無情。

be ruthless with your time.

As any flight attendant will tell you,

任何空服員都會告訴你， 你得先幫自己戴上氧氣面罩。

you have to put your own oxygen mask on first.

It’s the only way you can be at your best for others,

唯有這樣，才能為了他人好。

so give yourself time to do the things you need to

所以要給你自己時間 去做你必須要做的事，

in order to feel like a human being.

才能感覺自己像個人類。

That includes scheduling blocks of uninterrupted time

那就包含要安排 一些不受打擾的時段，

to focus on your own work.

專心做你自己的工作。

If you have a project that going to take you 10 hours

如果你手上的專案需要你花 非常專注的十小時時間和心力，

of really focused time and effort,

schedule that time in your calendar.

把那時間安排到你的行事曆上。

Try putting in “no-fly zones” two hours a day,

試著每週找幾天安排 兩小時的「禁飛區」，

a few days a week,

at whatever time you’re at your most productive.

安排在你生產力最高的時段。

You don’t have to make these changes in a vacuum,

你不需要躲起來自己做這些改變，

like it’s some kind of secret.

好像這是天大的秘密一樣。

You can tell people that you’re trying something new

你可以告訴別人你在做新嘗試， 試著掌控你的行事曆。

and taking control of your calendar.

And you do not have to do everything at once.

且你不用同時去做上述的所有密訣。

Simply pick one idea and try it.

挑一個來試試就好。

People will not only understand it,

大家不僅會諒解，還會感激。

but they’ll appreciate it.

So the only question left is:

現在只剩下一個問題：

Do you have the courage to own your own calendar?

你有勇氣為你自己的行事曆做主嗎？

I think you do.

我認為你有。