Ask To Extend

Bob had to make his son’s first baseball game right after work today, but he was stuck in Susan’s meeting. It was supposed to end at 5, but it was now 5:15 with no end in sight… At 5:20, Bob had had enough, he exploded, “Why aren’t you more considerate of my time, Susan?!?”

The sad thing was that Susan had thought that everyone wanted to continue the meeting, and would have been comfortable rescheduling or postponing the rest of it.

She should have asked if people were okay extending it…

When meetings are running late, ask people what they want to do. If you choose to continue, be sure to [Time Box] the rest of the meeting. People will feel respected and empowered, instead of distracted or frustrated by your tardiness.