Article 1: The Right to Decline
You have the inalienable right to decline meetings where:
Your presence adds no value to the outcome
The agenda could be accomplished asynchronously
No decisions will be made that require your input
You're invited "just to keep you in the loop"
Implementation: Start saying "I don't think I can add value to this discussion. Can you send me the summary?" Watch how often the meeting gets canceled when people realize half the attendees are unnecessary.
Article 2: The Right to Agenda Enforcement
You have the right to demand that meetings have:
A clear purpose stated in advance
Specific outcomes they're trying to achieve
An agenda shared beforehand
A defined end time that gets respected
Implementation: "What specific decision are we making in this meeting?" If they can't answer, the meeting shouldn't exist.
Article 3: The Right to Solution-Focused Discussion
You have the right to redirect conversations from:
Problem identification to solution development
Status reporting to decision-making
Information sharing to action planning
Consensus building to clear accountability
Implementation: "It sounds like we all agree this is a problem. Who's going to fix it and by when?" Cut through the discussion and force ownership.
Article 4: The Right to Calendar Sovereignty
You have the right to:
Block focus time for actual work
Refuse back-to-back meetings that prevent thinking
Demand meetings start and end on time
Protect your most productive hours from meeting invasion
Implementation: Block 2-4 hour chunks for deep work. Treat them as sacred as client meetings. Because your actual work is more important than talking about your actual work.
Part 3: The Meeting Audit Framework
Ready to Declare Meeting Independence?
Stop letting your calendar hold your productivity hostage.
I've created a Meeting Liberation Toolkit to help you:
Meeting audit checklist with value/decision/time tests
Templates for declining meetings professionally
Asynchronous communication alternatives to common meetings
Focus time protection strategies
Team meeting standards framework
Enter your email below to get access to
The Cranky PM Meeting Liberation Toolkit.