10 Ways to Say Yes, or No, to More Meetings

Six months into COVID WFH, are you craving interaction with co-workers, or happy to be at home? Some people can’t wait to get back into the office, and others are enjoying working at home. The silver lining of COVID, for some, is the lack of commute, the time saved by not needing to blow dry their hair, and time saved in putting a whole outfit together (no one can see your yoga pants or shorts!). They find themselves quite productive. For others, they miss their commute (for me, that’s my podcast listening time!), they miss impromptu conversations, and the non-verbal communication they may be missing on the phone or Zoom. They may still be productive, but are feeling drained by the end of the day.Fly-by leadership, when you can spontaneously talk and listen to your teams, no longer exists. A 5-minute conversation which may have occurred running into each other in the hallway, is now a scheduled 30-minute conversation.Which camp do you fall into?What is energizing you these days? This may be different than it was at the start of 2020. What part of your day do you feel most focused? Similarly, what is draining you? What is robbing you of energy and focus? 62% of workers reported losing at least one hour a day in productivity due to COVID related stress.If you find yourself making mistakes, that is a sign you need to recharge. You are depleted. In the past, this may have been when you walked around talking to your colleagues. What is your new way of recharging? Check out some ideas below.Practice patience with yourself. Gain clarity of your needs. When your energy dips, don’t plow through it. Step away and refill your bucket. Try implementing two or three of the actions below to increase your productivity and engagement.  5 recommendations if you’re craving more connection1 – Schedule virtual walks with colleagues, your network, new contacts2 – Build walking meetings into your mentor program3 – Start your meetings with a fun check-in to get to know your colleagues from another perspective 4 – Start a challenge with your colleagues, and check-in daily (via group text, online private group, etc.)5 – Email or call someone you haven’t spoken to in more than 6 months 5 recommendations if you’re craving less connection1 – Create a limit to how many meetings you’ll attend each day. And stick to it!2 – Let people know you need time to recharge3 – Request explanation why you are invited to a meeting. Are you really needed?4 – Recognize when you are depleted, and step away from your computer. Walk around the block.5 – Be comfortable (and don't feel guilty!) saying NO!Will you be saying Yes or No to more meetings?