Back-to-back calls drain energy and delay real work. Flip the default: go async first, then make live time precious, visible, and short.
Why async wins by default
- Updates and FYIs don’t need a room.
- Written decisions scale across time zones.
- Live sessions can focus on high-ambiguity work.
Try this: Triage invites with one sentence: “What decision is due by when?” If none, make it a doc.
When a call is the right choice
- You need a fast decision with 2–4 stakeholders.
- You’re unblocking high-ambiguity work.
- Misalignment risk is high and costly.
Make live time precious (timer + agenda discipline)
If you must meet, make time visible and finite.
- In Google Meet, keep a small overlay timer on-screen (Minute Minder).
- Add Halftime and “5 left” reminders to force transitions.
- Write outcomes at the top of the doc (approve, assign, date).
Example, 25-minute alignment call
- 00:00–03:00: Confirm goals
- 03:00–18:00: Topics (two segments)
- 18:00–23:00: Decisions & owners
- 23:00–25:00: Wrap
Try this: If a topic isn’t “decidable” by T-5, park it and assign an async owner.
After the call: decisions, not notes
Close with owner + date and paste outcomes into chat. Minute Minder’s wrap prompt is a gentle nudge that prevents the “oh no, we’re out of time” scramble.
Protect your calendar-and your energy
Install Minute Minder to keep live time honest: a visible timer, gentle cues, and a 2-minute wrap that turns conversation into decisions. Save meetings for the moments that truly need them.
Get Free Chrome Extension: https://minuteminder.io/
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