Stop Letting Meetings Steal Your Time
Take Control of Your Calendar
As a Product Manager, your calendar probably looks like a Tetris game gone wrong - meetings stacked on meetings, barely any space to breathe.
The problem? Meetings don’t build products.
Most of us spend their days trapped in calls, barely finding time for deep work. If you’re tired of feeling busy but unproductive, here’s a couple of things you can do to take back control of your time.
1) Stop Saying Yes to Every Invite
Not all meetings are created equal. If it doesn’t align with your priorities, decline it.
Ask yourself:
✅ Do I need to be here, or can I just read the notes?
✅ Will I add value, or am I just a spectator?
✅ Can this be an email instead?
2) Make Meeting Notes Mandatory
If a meeting happens, there should be a record of it.
Make sure every discussion has:
A clear summary
Action items with owners
Deadlines
This ensures no one asks, "Wait, what did we decide again?" in the next meeting.
3) Use the Right Tools
Whiteboards are great in person, but for remote work? Miro, FigJam, Notion or even AI-powered note takers will save you hours of back-and-forth.
4) Keep Meetings Focused
A good meeting has:
✔️ A clear goal
✔️ The right people (not a crowd)
✔️ A moderator who keeps things on track
If a meeting starts drifting, bring it back or wrap it up.
5) End Meetings the Moment They’re Done
If the objective is met in 20 minutes, don’t stretch it to an hour.
Be the person who says, "Looks like we’re done here - let’s get back to work!" You’ll be a hero.
6) Cut the Guest List
A smaller meeting = a better meeting.
Jeff Bezos has the "Two Pizza Rule"—if two pizzas can’t feed the group, the meeting is too big. Keep it tight.
7) Schedule Recovery Time
Back-to-back meetings are brutal. If you must sit through multiple calls, build in short breaks. Even 5-10 minutes between meetings can help you reset.
8) Block Time for Deep Work
Your calendar won’t magically free itself up. Defend your focus time.
Block dedicated work slots on your calendar so no one books over them. Treat them like unmissable meetings - with yourself.
Take Control of Your Schedule
You weren’t hired to be a meeting machine. A Product Manager’s job is to build, prioritize, and make decisions - not to sit in endless calls.
Be intentional. Be ruthless. And most importantly, make sure your time is spent on what actually moves the product forward.
Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Get in touch on LinkedIn 👇
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