This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nikita Kutafiev
Long meetings aren’t just annoying-they’re expensive. A few subtle mechanics can turn drift into decisions and make on-time finishes the default.
The hidden cost of drift
- Unbounded discussion crowds out priority work.
- Decisions happen late, or not at all-so work starts late.
- People leave unclear, so follow-ups multiply.
Small overtime nudges are enough to prevent runaway calls.
Overtime alerts that prevent runaway calls
With Minute Minder in Google Meet, the timer shifts color for “5 minutes left” and Overtime. You can add a soft chime if your team likes audio cues. This is a polite heads-up: the room sees it, feels it, and moves.
Try this: Make a team norm: overtime cues = decide or park.
A simple enforcement loop
- At “5 left,” choose: decide → assign → or park.
- If still talking at Overtime, stop new topics.
- Switch to Wrap in 2 (owner + date).
“Land the plane” in 2 minutes
At T-2, speak your summary first:
- Decision(s): What did we choose?
- Owners & dates: Who does what by when?
- Parking lot: What got moved and who owns it?
Paste the bullets into chat (or your notes) before closing the tab. Minute Minder’s wrap-up prompt makes this automatic.
Mini case: weekly ops call
- Before: 55 minutes, spill-over discussions, unclear owners.
- After: Timer visible; “5 left” triggers decisions; overtime color shows → two items parked; T-2 wrap assigns owners. Result: Shorter call, clearer ownership, fewer follow-ups.
Make overtime a signal, not a surprise
Try Minute Minder on your next two sprints. The visible timer and overtime cues will help you land the plane on time-and turn meetings into decisions, not drift.
Get Free Chrome Extension: https://minuteminder.io/
Related reading
- Finish Google Meet Calls On Time: A Time-Boxing Playbook
- Async First, Calls Second: A Simple Discipline for Remote Teams
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nikita Kutafiev
Nikita Kutafiev | Sciencx (2025-09-18T13:16:15+00:00) From Meeting Sprawl to ROI: Overtime Alerts & “Land the Plane”. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/18/from-meeting-sprawl-to-roi-overtime-alerts-land-the-plane/
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