[Editor’s Note: This Blast from the Past article was initially published in Army Logistician (the former title of Army Sustainment) in the JAN-FEB 1976 issue. COL George Calvin Wallace (Ret.) started his military career with the National Guard, rising to the rank of sergeant while enlisted. He then joined the Army, proudly serving during the Vietnam War before retiring in 1979 as a colonel. After retiring from the Army, he had a successful career in real estate. This article provides timeless wisdom on how we can better operate meetings.]
Everyone knows the value of his own time, and everyone hates to have that precious time wasted. One of the most frustrating time wasters is a poorly planned and conducted meeting or an unnecessary meeting. Lieutenant Colonel George C. Wallace recently told Army Logistician magazine that, “During the past five years, I estimate that half of the time I spent in meetings has been wasted. This was confirmed by a detailed account of the meetings I attended during a recent 30-day period. The average was three hours of meetings per week, or 156 hours a year.”
Some rules offered by Lieutenant Colonel Wallace should be helpful to those who conduct meetings and to those who attend. When appropriately applied, these rules will undoubtedly save a great deal of that valuable commodity time. In his postscript, Lieutenant Colonel Wallace reveals, “this list was outlined while attending a two-hour meeting that should have lasted not more than 30 minutes.”
- Don’t have a meeting unless it is necessary. Perhaps the information can be exchanged through phone calls or memoranda.
- Determine the purpose of the meeting. Will it produce a decision or provide information?
- Prepare a specific agenda of key issues and distribute it in advance.
- Invite only those individuals necessary to accomplish the purpose of the meeting.
- Determine who will chair the meeting. One person cannot control the meeting and actively participate at the same time.
- Never schedule a meeting for the last hour of the working day unless absolutely necessary.
- Make administrative arrangements. Should it be a sit-down or stand-up meeting? (Standup meetings save a lot of time!) Should it be a roundtable discussion or classroom lecture? Have handouts and guidelines available, if necessary.
- Start on time. Latecomers will get the message!
- Conduct the meeting in a firm, businesslike manner. Maintain control, summarize frequently, and cut off long-winded speakers when they have made their points.
- At the end, sum up the conclusions, decisions, and follow-up actions, and circulate copies of the minutes, if available.
--------------------
LTC George C. Wallace was a staff officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army. He commanded six field artillery and air defense artillery batteries between 1957 and 1962.
--------------------
This article was published in the summer 2026 edition of Army Sustainment Professional Bulletin.
RELATED LINKS
Army Sustainment on Line of Departure
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Sharing