Meeting FOMO Has Got To Go

Jan 29, 2025

January may have flown by faster than the ball dropped, but it’s still technically resolution season. And if you’re anything like the rest of the knowledge workers we know, all those late nights and early mornings at your computer are getting in the way of your pledge to work out more, cook at home, or finally get to that stack of unread books.

A quarter of Americans report working between 45 and 59 hours a week, and another ten percent are toiling away for over 60. While a big deadline or deliverable can warrant the extra time, more often than not we’re working to recoup valuable hours that are being wasted in unnecessary or ineffective meetings.

So how about we get off the collaborative treadmill and onto the one at the gym? Reclaiming your time is easier than you think – it’s all about saying no to FOMO.

The fear of missing out – on an important update, face time with leadership, having visibility into a decision, or just being part of the action – is one of the primary reasons we attend too many meetings. But what if you could get the information you need without devoting a full 30 or 60 minutes to it? Imagine how you could use all that saved time!

The worst of the worst time-wasters is the update meeting. Typically, attendees are multi-tasking while awaiting their chance to speak. Forget retention of anyone else’s update. No one is actually listening.

Start nipping info-FOMO in the bud by following every meeting with a written recap, published within 24-48 hours. Keep it short and sweet. A recap should only include key discussion points, the decisions made, and the necessary action items with owners and deadlines. Link supporting materials and share the recap both with the meeting attendees and other interested parties.

Next, when you organize a meeting, only invite the critical participants. If your organization’s meeting culture defaults to inclusion, as so many do, you’ll encounter resistance. When facing pushback to limiting attendance, remind everyone of the value of their time and let them know when and where a recap will be published.

Last but not least, the most effective way to beat FOMO is to embrace JOMO. JOMO, the joy of missing out, comes from the realization that the ROI for your time investment will be significantly higher doing thinking work rather than daydreaming in a bad meeting.

If you receive an invite to a meeting and you don’t think your attendance is critical, decline. An invitation doesn’t automatically mean you must attend. But be kind to the meeting host and tell them why you’re not attending. Otherwise, they may keep rescheduling it on your behalf.

Just saying no can be challenging, especially when you’re worried that your value is tied to being visible. But consider this – would you rather be known as the person who consistently delivers timely and high-value strategic work? Or who is always visible multitasking on Zoom?