You may not realize how much time meetings take up. One study shows that the average professional spends more than a quarter of the workweek in meetings. This adds up to nearly 10 full workweeks by the end of the year.

Some teams default to meetings for everything, but many updates and ideas don’t require everyone to be together at the same time. Writer Robin Johnson crafted a piece for the Range blog that offers some async alternatives to traditional meetings. Keep reading this issue of PromoPro Daily for her suggestions on staying aligned and informed — without having to meet.

  1. Send an email. If your topic doesn’t require discussion or collaboration, email is best. Johnson suggests making it easier to parse with bullet points and highlighted calls to action.

  2. Share a check-in. Rather than holding recurring meetings, try shifting to an async format instead. This allows people to share updates on their own time and makes it easy to reference the information later.

  3. Record a video. According to Johnson, this works well for topics that require more elaboration or context than a quick Slack ping. For example, maybe you’re sharing a doc with a co-worker and want to provide a little more context.

  4. Create a task in your project management system. If your team uses a tool like Trello or Asana, share an update or ask a question directly within the task.

  5. Start a thread in Slack. Rather than pulling the team into a meeting, use your Slack to collaborate. Johnson says it’s also a great way to build connections when you work remotely.

  6. Create a shared doc. Many meetings are meant to help teams gain alignment and share knowledge with one another. Shared docs can often achieve the same purpose, Johnson says.

  7. Do a walk and talk. Sometimes you need to chat live. If your team is physically together, consider heading outside and holding a walking meeting. Johnson says it gives you a chance to stretch your legs and get a break from the mental fatigue of sitting at a conference table or in front of a screen.

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Meetings should help your team collaborate and gain alignment, but they’re not the only way to achieve those goals. Try some of the ideas above, like going for a walk and talk or creating a shared doc everyone can access. With fewer interruptions, your team will have more time to get meaningful work done.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Robin Johnson contributes to the Range blog. Range is a team collaboration and communication software.