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After spending over two and a half decades in pharmaceutical industry, one truth stands out: meetings are everywhere, but most of them don't really move the needle. Yet, there are three types of meetings I am recommending.

These aren't your typical brand review or sales call syncs. They’re your personal productivity anchors, helping you stay focused, strategic and sane in a fast-paced industry.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. The Shutdown Routine

Most professionals struggle with work-life integration. We take calls post-dinner, review campaigns over the weekend and keep WhatsApp buzzing 24x7. The Shutdown Routine is your daily ritual to break that cycle.

Schedule: Create an appointment in your calendar named "Shutdown " 30 minutes before your official workday ends

Purpose: Transition from work to personal life with clarity

Use it to:

✅ Review your final emails

✅ Update your task list

✅ Check your calendar

✅ Pick your top 3 priorities for tomorrow

2. Creative Before Reactive

In the corporate environment, we often start the day by reacting- calls, messages from the sales team, HO escalations, urgent updates from medical affairs. But that means we’re always on the backfoot.

This meeting flips the script.

Schedule: Create an appointment for the first hour of your workday named "Creative, before reactive"

Purpose: Work proactively on your highest-value task before distractions hit

✅ Mute the phone

✅ Shut down email

✅ No WhatsApp, no browser tabs

✅ Focus deeply on your #1 priority

3. The Weekly Review

Too many professionals hit Monday without a clear plan, reacting to tasks as they come. A Weekly Review helps you reset, reflect, and realign with your bigger goals.

Schedule: Create a 60 minute appointment named "Weekly Review" Friday evening or Sunday afternoon (whichever fits your rhythm)

Purpose: Reflect on the past week, and set up a strategic, clear next one

✅ Reflect on your week

✅ Review the next two weeks

✅ Revisit your goals

✅ Plan your top 3 outcomes

Final Thoughts

In an industry where everyone’s always in meetings, these three aren't about more meetings, they’re about better control over your time, energy and focus. Try them for a month and see the shift in how you lead your time, your team and your outcomes.

Let me know if you’ve tried something similar or if you’d like to build these into your own routine.