Dropbox co-CEO has just shared the simple rule he follows for when to turn down a meeting

Meetings have become a constant annoyance for white-collar professionals: they often drag on, interrupt focused work, and don’t require everyone’s participation. Now, business leaders are protecting their time by setting boundaries around when they join the conversation. Dropbox co-CEO Ashraf Alkarmi follows a simple rule to decide what calls make the cut.

“I pick things that I can make significant progress on in that quarter,” Alkarmi said in a recent interview with Business Insider. “And so it becomes a filter for how I prioritize my time.”

To pick and choose which meetings to attend, Alkarmi sets five goals he needs to achieve every quarter at the $7.3 billion cloud storage company. He uses these important target areas—like people, business, and performance—to shape his weekly schedule and decide where to focus his efforts. 

To make sure everyone is on the same page, the Dropbox co-CEO shares his key priorities with his circle, chief of staff, and administrative team. These objectives “win at all times” when a lot falls on his plate, he explained.

For example, during the first quarter, Alkarmi combed through data and worked toward solutions to reduce customer churn. Making “meaningful progress” and moving that needle became one of his main........

© Fortune