When Meetings Run Long

Coach a teammate on how to gently suggest wrapping up when the agenda is done. What words keep it kind?

Lay out a simple plan for keeping 'quick updates' short next time. What steps do you include?

Encourage a colleague to block five minutes to reset after a draining meeting. What should they do?

Give your team a pep talk about protecting the timebox next week. What’s the main benefit?

Describe what you feel when the clock keeps ticking but the meeting won’t end. Where do you notice it?

Share the relief that hits when someone finally says, “Let’s wrap.” How does your energy change?

Thank the facilitator who summarized and ended on time. How do you say it so they know it mattered?

Ask the group to park a side topic for email later. What gentle language can you use?

Explain what happens to focus after the thirty-minute mark. Why does it matter for the work?

Summarize the narrator’s main lesson about respecting attention. How would you phrase it?

Tell a quick story about a meeting that drifted way past the end. What made it go sideways?

Share a time you helped shut down a long meeting gracefully. What approach did you use?