Got-Stood-Up-in-A-Meeting Core:
How to Stop Unnecessary Meetings
Meetings that should not be meetings are one of the biggest workplace time wasters. And I know a lot of you don’t have full control over your meetings like I do now. When you have a boss, it’s different.
I’ve been there. In corporate America, my entire job was just… meetings. It didn’t matter how pointless they were or how easily they could’ve been handled over email….I had to sit through them.
Saying otherwise? That was a fast track to getting in trouble.
So, I get it.
I am so for real about this that you can enjoy this rant about me recently getting stood up in a meeting that could’ve been an email:
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How to Subtly Kill a Useless Meeting
One way to cut down unnecessary meetings (without making enemies) is to be a little strategic. (Yes, some might call it passive-aggressive, but let’s reframe that: it’s just playing the game.)
Some people are completely incessant about having that meeting and won’t take no for an answer.
Try this: just keep rescheduling the meeting.
If the meeting is truly low priority and could have been an email, then… let it become one. Every time it gets close, say something came up. After three reschedules, people usually get the hint and will just handle it over email.
Worried about seeming like a jerk? Don’t be.
Because here’s the truth: everyone in corporate America is already doing whatever they want. They’re thinking about their schedule—not yours. They’re not considering the other seven meetings you have today. They’re just booking time because they don’t have a better system.
Stop Letting the Game Play You
I recently got stuck in one of these dumb meetings myself.
I knew it didn’t need to be a meeting. My manager agreed.
As the Anti Work Girlboss I actually already have automated systems for the type of task this meeting was set to discuss. I actually do make systems for my assistant so that he is autonomous and no one needs to breath down each other’s neck to do our jobs.
That would be crazy if I didn’t!!
So, we rescheduled it three times. Finally, after the third reschedule, I sat in the virtual room waiting… for six minutes.
And then?
They said: “Actually, can we just handle this over email?”
Yes. Yes, we can. Because not everything needs to be immediate. Not everything needs a 30-minute touch base.
Meetings Are a Symptom of a Bigger Problem
If your job requires constant check-ins just to function, that’s a sign of poor systems, not actual productivity.
What you’re really doing is reinforcing a cycle of:
Busywork disguised as productivity
Disorganization disguised as collaboration
Meetings disguised as impact
Meanwhile, the real lazy girl job move isn’t skipping work. It’s questioning why we’re working the way we do.
The Smart Alternative: Get Ahead of Meetings
If you really want to look like a high performer (without working more), try this instead:
Create a one-pager, a cheat sheet, or an SOP that preemptively answers common meeting topics.
This is why my longest term partner is Tango.ai! I truly stand behind everything this company solves.
Send it before someone even asks for a meeting.
Frame it as a time-saver for the team (not just for you).
Suddenly, you’re not just dodging meetings, you’re eliminating them before they even exist. And trust me, your boss will love it.
The Fastest Way to Look Subpar at Work?
Sitting through meetings all day.
You think you’re proving yourself by showing up to every call, but what you’re actually signaling is:
“I’m fine with grunt work.”
“I don’t prioritize my time.”
“I’ll sit through whatever you throw at me.”
The bar in corporate America is so low that if you simply streamline your work and free up your time, you’ll stand out as a high performer.
And no, no one who has built anything great, disrupted an industry, or changed the world ever said:
“You know what got me here? Sitting in meetings that could have been emails.”
So stop letting pointless meetings run your life. Question the game. And, most importantly: stop getting played.