The Meeting That Became Your Job

At some point, a meeting became your job. Not officially — not on your org chart, not in your title. But it showed up in every calendar, every status report, every decision that involved your team.

Someone had to own the recurring sync. Someone had to track the action items. Someone had to follow up when things slipped. And somehow, that someone became you.

The meeting that became your job. Often without a conversation about it.

How This Happens

You attended once and never left.

The first meeting, you were invited as a participant. You contributed. Someone said "this should be on [your team's] plate." And now it's yours.

You organized it before anyone asked.

You saw a need and filled it. You set up the recurring meeting, you sent the agendas, you wrote the notes. It worked, so it stuck.

You were the only person who cared.

The meeting had a purpose. Nobody else remembered to do it. You did. And now you're the person who does.

When It Becomes a Problem

The meeting became your job when it takes time you don't have, produces output you don't own, or creates accountability for things you can't control.

You're tracking action items for people who don't report to you. You're following up on decisions you didn't make. You're running a meeting that would continue without you — but only because you've made yourself indispensable.

How to Fix It

Make it official or make it stop.

If the meeting is worth having, assign ownership explicitly. Not "someone should track this" — "Sarah owns this meeting and its outputs." If it's not worth owning, cancel it.

Transfer the meeting.

If you've been running it, find someone else to own it next quarter. Don't just hand it off — hand it off with the full context of why it exists and what it produces.

Protect your time.

A meeting that became your job can consume the time you need for the job you actually have. Audit your recurring meetings and ask: which ones do I actually need to be in?

The meeting that became your job is usually a meeting that grew beyond its original intention. Trim it back to what it actually needs to do.