HBR Guides to Being an Effective Manager Collection (5 Books) (HBR Guide Series)

CHAPTER 7

The Magic of 30-Minute Meetings

by Peter Bregman

Often we schedule one-hour time slots. Why? How did an hour become our standard time allotment for so many meetings, phone calls, and appointments? Recently I tried a new experiment: I cut the time I allot for many activities in half.

I started with something easy. I used to work out for an hour a day. Now it’s down to 30 minutes. My results— weight and conditioning—improved.

Here’s why: My intensity is higher (I know I only have 30 minutes), I eat better (I don’t rely on my workout to keep slim), I integrate movement more into my day (I don’t rely on my workout to take care of all my fitness needs), and I never miss a workout (I can always find 30 minutes).

If you have half the time ...