One of the most common challenges with work is an overabundance of meetings and lack of quiet time for concentrated work. Time is our most valuable commodity, more so than money, food, etc. And we know conceptually it is impossible to replace time, especially when wasted, forever lost, never reclaimed. So in the context of work, what is one small improvement you can make today to ensure you’re not wasting your valuable time or others?

When sending a meeting invite, write clear objectives and outcomes. By clearly articulating your intention and expected results within the body of the invite, you are providing space for participants to decide whether your meeting is worth making the time for.

If you’re struggling to find the words, here is a quick and easy template:

Objectives & Outcomes

An objective is your purpose or goal of an effort or action; in this case, a request for a specific timeframe to accomplish a particular task. And an outcome, according to dictionary.com, is a final product or result, consequence, or issue. In other words, the meeting should unfold using a process of logical thinking and finish with clarity of purpose.

Part of building a purpose-driven culture is to get into the habit of communicating context, even on the micro-level of sending a meeting invite. When you create objectives and outcomes for each meeting, you are building the framework of the conversation. If you notice dialog is veering away from the original documented intention during the conversation, it is easier to sway people back toward your north star.

So what is holding you back? Why should I attend your meeting? How will I benefit from joining your session? What do you hope to get out of it? Tell me why I should trade my valuable work time to make space for your meeting. Entice me with your objectives and outcomes.

This article originally appeared on the Medium platform
05-04-2021