A few years ago, when I got a speeding ticket, I was offered the option of attending traffic school in lieu of a black mark on my otherwise spotless driving record. I showed up at City Hall promptly at 6 PM, hoping my educational experience would end at the advertised 8:30 PM. The instructor was 25 minutes late and quite disorganized. By 8:15 PM he was on slide 18 of 123 and seemed to be just getting into the groove. My heart sunk and I was quickly getting resentful. At 8:26 PM he launched into what promised to be a lengthy story about a fascinating multi-car accident. I felt a toxic sense of dread and powerless. After all — this was his meeting, not mine — and I need the points taken off my driving record.
7 Ways to Stop a Meeting from Dragging On
Don’t become part of the silent majority.
April 25, 2016
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New!
HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.