Technique #4: The prophets of old used to predict that meetings would be a waste of time. Little did they know, we've taken it to a whole new level.
When in doubt, invoke this timeless classic: "I'm on a conference call." It's like a Get Out of Jail free card for meetings. Just say it, and you're free to do whatever you want – as long as it's not, like, anything productive or actually work-related, that is.
Example use case: "Sorry, I'm on a conference call with the CEO of Mars. Can someone else handle this meeting?"