Long meetings are a drag! They dissipate our energy, tire us out, and after the first 45 minutes degenerate from there. To stay awake, people look at their email, pretend they are taking notes while working on their computer and sometimes just try to stay awake, looking interested - which many are not. I have written many a blog is such long meetings. Because few are giving their undivided attention to what is going on around them a long meeting actually ends up longer because people are multi tasking.
It need not be this way. In fact, if a meeting goes beyond one hour it is probably too long. People can focus for that length of time if the meeting is facilitated well and that is often a big if!
Think about this. Most meetings cover predictable pieces of territory: financial; initiatives; alignment; problems to be solved and so on. Trying to cover these in one meeting is normally counterproductive. Instead, consider short SYNC meetings around those disparate topics where you have the key players in the room or on the call, and keep it short: 30 minutes; 45 minutes or at the most, 60 minutes. Using Google Docs so you can build shared documents, come with an agenda and take notes right there on the shared doc so that at the close of the meeting, everyone has the details. If assignments have been made record these at the end which becomes the first order of business the next time you convene.
Many short, focused, well led SYNCS are far more effective than long, interminable meetings. At the end of each SYNC give a one to five rating for the overall effectiveness of the meeting. That ensures that conveners will pay maximum attention to getting business done in an effective and efficient manner. Schedule your SYNCS throughout the week or the month as needed. If there are special initiatives use the same methodology for those that are tasked with that initiative.
Make a policy that you don't do long boring meetings. There is no joy in them and they usually don't accomplish what you want them to accomplish.
