Time Management In An Instant

39Assign Every Meeting a PAL

To make an immediate improvement in your meeting time management, use the PAL (purpose, agenda, and limits) method. Simple and straightforward, this system insures a basic level of meeting mindfulness that prevents wasted time and effort. Even regular meetings will benefit by applying the following PAL principle.

P = What is the Purpose of the meeting?

In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People(Free Press, 2004), author Stephen Covey says to “begin with the end in mind.” Before convening any meeting, take some time to write down a few sentences that articulate your overall objective for the get-together. A good place to start is to think about what you hope will have happened by the end of the session. For ...