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4 min read

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6 hours ago

Ben Webb — Project Manager

We’ve all been there — you ask yourself “what is this meeting?”

Another hour wasted. Another session where nothing gets decided, but somehow, another meeting gets scheduled.

The result? Projects slow down, teams lose focus, and instead of delivering work, everyone spends their time talking about the work.

Project management should be about delivery and execution, not endless discussions. Yet, for some reason, meetings have become the default way to “show progress” when, in reality, they’re slowing everything down.

Most meetings end with more questions, more tasks, and another follow-up meeting.

When project managers drag teams into constant check-ins, they’re not managing — they’re babysitting.

A meeting feels productive — you talked, you made notes, you debated. But what actually got done? Nothing.

A one-hour meeting with 10 people? That’s 10 hours of lost work. An extra weekly status meeting? That’s weeks of lost productivity across the year.

It’s easy to say “just cut meetings,” but in reality, projects still need stakeholder visibility and accountability. So how do you maintain control without drowning in meetings?

Instead of weekly update meetings, use live project dashboards Stakeholders can see progress at any time — without waiting for a scheduled meeting.

Use color-coded risk indicators (Green = on track, Yellow = at risk, Red = critical) so issues stand out instantly.

Real World Check: This works because instead of sitting in a meeting to “review the project,” stakeholders can check progress on demand and engage when needed.

Instead of long status meetings, hold short, structured result driven meetings that focus on: ✅ What’s done? ✅ What’s next? ✅ What’s blocking progress?

Only key decision-makers should attend — no need for the entire team to sit in. Action items should be assigned on the spot — don’t just talk, decide.

Real World Check: This ensures accountability without wasting hours. If stakeholders need more detail, they can check the dashboard.

Weekly project summary emails (bullet points, not essays) keep executives and stakeholders informed.

Set up automated dashboard reporting to send real-time progress insights directly to inboxes.

Real World Check: This eliminates the need for constant “alignment” meetings while keeping stakeholders engaged.

Each project milestone should have a single accountable owner — not just a vague “team.”

Use OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) to measure progress instead of tracking who attended which meeting.

If something is at risk, it should be flagged early through the dashboard, not discovered in a meeting two weeks later.

Real World Check: This ensures accountability is built into the workflow rather than being enforced through meetings.

Instead of dragging stakeholders into weekly updates, hold milestone-driven meetings where decisions are actually required.

Only schedule a meeting if there is something actionable — not just to “discuss progress.”

Real World Check: This ensures stakeholder involvement at the right moments while avoiding unnecessary check-ins.

Instead of “Let’s book a meeting,” encourage a culture of quick, direct decision-making.

If an issue arises, solve it with a short call, email, or quick decision doc — don’t turn it into a 1-hour meeting.

Real World Check: This makes teams more responsive and agile instead of waiting for the next scheduled meeting.

Meetings aren’t inherently bad — they’re just overused. The key is to make every meeting count and replace unnecessary ones with better alternatives.

Stakeholder Visibility = Dashboards + Automated Reports Project Accountability = Clear Ownership + Measurable Outcomes Fast Decision-Making = Short Standups + On Demand Real Time Updates Efficient Communication = Milestone Checkpoints + Direct Conversations

The best project managers aren’t the ones who schedule the most meetings. They’re the ones who keep the team focused on delivery.

So next time you think about sending another meeting invite, ask yourself:

“Can this be solved with a dashboard update, a quick decision, or a direct message instead?”

Chances are, the answer is yes.