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Component Manufacturing dverti$ dverti $ er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
January 2026 #18318 Page #110
Adverti$$er
When Meetings Get in the Way of Work
Thomas McAnally TheJobLine.com Hiring-Zone.com The Advertiser
M
eetings are a necessary part of running any business. They can align teams, solve problems, and move projects forward. But in many organizations, meetings have quietly grown out of control. What once served a clear purpose has, over time, turned into a standing calendar block that exists simply because it always has. The result is lost productivity, frustrated employees, and hours spent talking instead of doing.
In manufacturing environments like truss plants, wall panel facilities, and component operations, time is especially valuable. Designers, estimators, production managers, and sales teams already work under tight schedules. Pulling several people into a one- or two-hour meeting “just in case” something comes up often creates more disruption than benefit. Many of these meetings could be handled with a short phone call, a quick Zoom check-in, or a well-written memo. A common issue is attendance by default. People are invited because they have always been invited, not because they are needed for the topic at hand. Designers are asked to report that there are no issues. Production staff are pulled away from schedules just to confirm things are running as planned. These updates could be requested with a simple question, “Do you need help?” followed by a call if the answer is yes. Another problem is over-allocated meeting time. Meetings are often scheduled for an hour or two when the actual scope may only require 15 or 30 minutes. Once the agenda is finished, the leftover time frequently turns into side conversations, personal updates, or unproductive discussion. Meanwhile, calendars remain blocked, preventing people from returning to focused work. In truss operations, that can mean delayed designs, slower releases, and lost production momentum. Managers should also reconsider the purpose of recurring meetings. Daily, weekly, and monthly meetings
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