Frontline Voices: Meeting “marathons” should be avoided”

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Voices from the front line: Meeting \"marathons\" should be avoided. China National Petroleum News Center. Publication date: 2018-10-08 08:55. Recently, a certain organization held a meeting to oversee the progress of key infrastructure projects. The conference moderator got straight to the point and said, “To save meeting time and avoid long meetings, there will be no applause for speeches” ； The presentation and discussion get straight to the point, without any polite phrases ； Apart from the principal leaders and those in charge of specific areas, no other leaders will be scheduled to give speeches ； All speeches should be kept within 5 minutes. ”The author can’t help but praise such efficient and effective meetings. 　　Amidst the ongoing efforts to improve work styles, the frequency of meetings has decreased, yet the duration of many meetings has increased, leading to an increase in \"meeting marathons\". Lengthy introductions, frequent interruptions with applause, and protracted closing remarks all worked to drag out what should have been a short meeting. Such “marathon” meetings not only waste the valuable time of the participants but also distract them, reducing the effectiveness of the meetings. 　　There is no positive relationship between meeting quality and meeting duration. Improving the style of meetings must start with holding shorter and more efficient meetings. First, prepare carefully and avoid holding meetings with last-minute motions ； Second, strict approval procedures must be implemented to avoid randomness in meetings ； Third, reduce the frequency of meetings and hold more comprehensive meetings ； Fourth, time must be controlled by setting limits on speaking time during meetings ； Fifth, streamline the agenda by eliminating unnecessary elements such as introductions, conclusions, and welcome speeches, in order to avoid the phenomenon of meeting \"marathons\". (Reader: Zhang Juxiang)