As a leader of busy teams, it’s important to me to continue finding ways to balance productivity at work with what’s important to all of us outside the office … life! Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Bill Gates are amongst those that have offered practical tips on how to make meetings more productive, but it’s trusted team facilitator and workplace performance guru, Donna McGeorge who really brings it altogether in this great read on how to practically reduce the many, many, many, (… many) unproductive hours we spend in meetings for meetings’ sake. I thought I’d hit a personal best getting some of my meetings to 45 minutes but clearly there’s room to improve!

— Cath Stone, Director Donor Services, Red Cross Blood Service

Immediately useful. At least three changes I can make this week to get more out of the meetings I need to be at, and get out of those I don’t.

— Anne-Marie Johnson, ACA, GAICD, Director Professional Services

For a large number of modern day executives meetings are a necessary evil — whether global, regional or local, conducted face to face or virtually across multiple time zones, meetings are a way of life. Unfortunately, many meetings don’t achieve the intended purpose of communication, alignment or execution while wasting valuable time and energy! I applaud The 25 Minute Meeting which tackles not just the ‘why’ of meetings but also the ‘how’ of saving 35 minutes per traditional 60-minute meeting!

— Daryl Mahon, Vice President Human Resources - Ford Australia & New Zealand, Ford Motor Company

Meetings are a highly luxurious, even decedent way to get work done. When we get a bunch of people together for a chunk of time, we ought to ensure that we maximise this time. But unfortunately, we often don’t. We too often get too many people together for too long with no clear focus or process to achieve the outcomes. In The 25 Minute Meeting, Donna McGeorge shows you how to half the length of your meetings, and double their impact. Full of practical strategies that work, this little book packs a big punch. Give this to everyone you meet with and change the meeting culture around you today.

— Dermot Crowley, thought leader and best-selling author of Smart Teams and Smart Work

It is rare that you can read a book, immediately apply practical advice tips and tools and change the way you work. If meetings continue to be a drain on your time, give this book a try — a great read.

— Gayle Antony, General Manager, Global Learning and Development, Nissan Motor Company

The 25 Minute Meeting is the game changer for organisations and leaders to get laser focused on what matters. The default one-hour meetings mean people aren’t thinking consciously about what the purpose of the meeting is or what the ideal outcome needs to be. In a world of trying to do more with less, The 25 Minute Meeting is the disruptor to create a productive and high performing team.

— Jane Anderson, Australia’s most awarded personal branding expert, author of 5 books, certified speaker, mentor to industry leaders

If you roll your eyes at yet another meeting invite in your calendar. If you leave meetings wondering what the purpose was or questioning what was actually decided. If you would love to have more time in your calendar every week, then Donna McGeorge has the answer. This book is a life changer. Turn painful meetings into purposeful ones with this gem of a book that’s jam packed with tips, tools and exercises to make meetings more fun and all about adding value versus becoming a value drain. And even better — it’s a good, quick read that is instantly actionable. An absolute must read.

— Janine Garner, networking, collaboration & leadership expert, best-selling author of It’s Who You Know

Donna McGeorge makes work work.

She is passionate about enhancing the large amount of time we spend in our workplace (too much, for many) to ensure it is effective and productive, as well as enjoyable.

Donna has worked with managers and leaders throughout Australia and Asia–Pacific for over 20 years. She delivers practical skills, training, workshops and facilitation to corporates — such as Nissan Motor Company, Jetstar, Medibank Private and Ford Motor Company — so they learn to manage their people well and produce great performance and results.

Her CV reads like her eclectic record collection (yes, classic vinyl): Manager of Theatre, Sports & Concert Tours for the UK-based Keith Prowse; Asia–Pacific Organisational Development Manager for Ford Motor Company in Shanghai, China; as well as roles at Telstra, Qantas, Ernst & Young and Ansett.

She lives on 20 acres in Heathcote, Victoria, a region known for its world-class shiraz, but her most creative moments come while sipping tea on her verandah, gazing at the rolling hills, alongside her husband, Steve, and dog, Prudence.

Donna believes that workplaces are complex, but not hard. More often than not it’s getting the simple things right, consistently, that has the greatest impact.

She also knows that when we decide to be intentional, we can surprise ourselves with what we can achieve. Read on and you’ll soon see.

www.donnamcgeorge.com

Wow! This has been such an interesting ride and there are so many people who have been part of the journey.

The team at Wiley — and what a team! Ingrid and Lucy, you understood my vision for this book and helped me to bring it to life. I am so grateful to you for being part of a turning point in my career and life.

Kelly Irving — I could not have written this book without you, particularly in those moments where I was having a bad day and felt like nothing was working. A short text and things got right back on track. Your insight and intelligence are nothing short of extraordinary, along with your direct and on-point feedback.

Tracey Ezard, Lynne Cazaly and Maree Burgess — my brains trust. You got me through the ups and downs of creative flow, fed me an appropriate beverage at those times and spent long days on the couch (and phone) listening to my ramblings, being my sounding board and kicking my butt when needed. This will long be remembered as the book that was birthed in Bali. You talented and amazing women have my back at every turn.

Alexandra Martindale — the thing about being a creative type is that you have lots of ideas, every day, about things you could do: products to market, books to write and opportunities to explore. Alex, you keep me focused and on track. You also kept the business going and our social media presence alive while I had my head down writing. Any time I popped my head up with a ‘Hey, I’ve had an idea!’, you would acknowledge, record and then remind me of my focus.

Emma McGeorge — my darling girl. You have quickly discovered the challenges of the modern corporate worker and have been waiting with bated breath for the publishing of this book: ‘Mum! The world NEEDS this book!’ You are the inspiration for much of my writing as I strive to create a better corporate working environment for everyone, and particularly you.

Finally, and anyone who knows me so GETS this … to my wonderful husband of 27 years, Steve McGeorge. To put it simply, you are of service. When my head is down, I sometimes don’t notice that you have swapped out an empty cup of tea for a fresh one, or popped a snack by the computer to keep me going when I forget to stop and eat. Your unconditional love and support has made not just this book, but the life we lead possible. I could not do anything that I do without you. I’m blessed.