Lunchtime meetings: how to do them better

We recently revealed that, if you call the UK home, your lunchtime is under threat. Why? Because 12pm is proving to be the most popular time to start a meeting. 29% of all meetings in the UK start in the two-hour period over lunch according to Whereby meetings data.

We all know that food > meetings, right?

However, sometimes there’s stuff on your to-do list stops you from taking a well-earned break and instead eats into your lunch hour (pun fully intended). When that happens, you don’t have to do meetings like you usually do meetings. Why not give one of these ideas a spin instead?

Go audio only (and get outside)

Ditch the video part of video meetings, and take your talk on a walk instead. Having an audio-only Whereby meeting using our app means you can escape the clutches of your desk and chat through work things whilst taking some time out in the great outdoors.

Set a timer

Protect your precious lunchtime minutes by setting a limit on how long you want your meeting to last. Agree a time beforehand with your guests, and use the time tracker in your Whereby room to ensure things don’t run on any longer than they need to.

Share an agenda beforehand

To ensure things stay on track, teammates keep on-task, and you finish on time, share an agenda with your guests prior to the start of your meeting. It doesn’t need to be complex — a few bullet points will suffice — but ensuring it’s all written down means everyone is clear on what’s going to be discussed, and nothing gets forgotten.

Screen-share to the rescue

Cut the faff by sharing your screen. If you and your team need to take a look at documents together, lose the “Which bit are we looking at?” part by hitting the ‘Share’ button at the bottom of your Whereby meeting room. You’ll then be able to look at Google Drive files, browser pages, Miro whiteboards, YouTube videos (and more) in sync with each other, no matter where in the world you’re calling from.

...or, just don’t have a meeting

A video meeting company encouraging you not to meet over video? That’s right. Sometimes it’s worth saying no to a meeting if it impacts too heavily on other things you need to do (like eating, or taking a break from your desk!).