I think there are some people who plan meetings because they don't know how to really be productive. So a meeting becomes a bad proxy for productivity. I always

I think there are some people who plan meetings because they don't know how to really be productive. So a meeting becomes a bad proxy for productivity. I always try to turn those down. A few clues: - People tend to use the meeting to 'collaborate' on work that should have already been done. E.g., filling in spreadsheets, drafting emails etc. - If a standing meeting seems to bring up the same issues over and over without any movement towards resolution - If you tend to be a fly-on-the-wall and don't have much input to the discussion, it might be better to just not attend ask for meeting notes instead - If there's no clear agenda or action items, or it seems to devolve into discussions that should be one-on-one