Are we the only ones sitting in way too many meetings or what? How’s any work supposed to be done if we’re chit-chatting away on daily stand-ups? In this episode of Off the VPN, Allison and Jasmine talk about the overload of unnecessary meetings in the tech world — sharing listener stories and exploring the countless red flags of inefficient workplace practices. Tune in for laughs, advice, and some much-needed reality checks on how we handle our time in the tech world. Spoilers: It could have been an email.

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Highlights:

Three Stand-Ups in a Day: Can you imagine giving the same status update three times in a single day? Jasmine and Allison break down the absurdity of excessive meetings and discuss how to streamline communication for better productivity.
Video On Debate: Should cameras be on or off during virtual meetings? A listener’s hot take sparks a conversation about remote work culture.
Micromanagement Overload: Feeling micromanaged by endless check-ins? Jasmine and Allison share a story about a team lead who insists on multiple daily meetings and offers strategies to push back on inefficient management.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Back from vacation!
(02:24) Today’s topic: Meetings – Why do we have so many?
(04:00) How to decide if a meeting is necessary
(08:33) “No customer will ever buy this feature!”
(10:05) Questioning product development decisions in meetings
(12:49) Being realistic with delivery dates
(14:24) Managing time conflicts in project work
(16:09) Should cameras be on in meetings?
(21:00) The story of too many stand-up meetings
(25:01) How to handle meeting overload and find balance
(29:59) Evaluating the ROI of long meetings
(31:08) Being conscious of time spent in meetings

Stand ups and other useless meetings