Meetings: The Necessary Evil?
Ah, the dreaded meeting - the bane of executives and employees everywhere. If Dilbert comics are any indication, we've all been there, trapped in a seemingly endless parade of pointless discussions, bureaucratic back-and-forth, and death by PowerPoint. And the problem is only getting worse.
According to our research, the average executive now spends nearly 23 hours per week in meetings - more than double the time spent just 50 years ago (Financial Review). That's an entire workday lost to discussion, with many leaders describing a feeling of being "unable to come up for air" during the workweek. One executive even went so far as to stab her own leg with a pencil to avoid screaming during a particularly painful staff meeting. Ouch.
According to our research, the average executive now spends nearly 23 hours per week in meetings - more than double the time spent just 50 years ago (Financial Review). That's an entire workday lost to discussion, with many leaders describing a feeling of being "unable to come up for air" during the workweek. One executive even went so far as to stab her own leg with a pencil to avoid screaming during a particularly painful staff meeting. Ouch.
Nadine Shabaan
So why do we put up with this meeting madness? After all, everyone seems to hate them. Well, it turns out that many executives view meetings as a "necessary evil" - something they feel compelled to defend, even as they dread sitting through them.
The reason? Good old-fashioned loyalty and a desire to be a "good soldier" for the company. When leaders sacrifice their own time and sanity for endless meetings, they often convince themselves they're doing what's best for the business. What they fail to see, however, are the very real costs these meetings impose on productivity, focus, and employee engagement.
After all, time is a zero-sum game. Every minute spent in a useless meeting is a minute taken away from the deep, focused work that drives innovation and efficiency. And speaking of focus, research shows that constant meeting interruptions severely undermine our ability to engage in the kind of uninterrupted "deep work" that's so essential for creativity and problem-solving.
The reason? Good old-fashioned loyalty and a desire to be a "good soldier" for the company. When leaders sacrifice their own time and sanity for endless meetings, they often convince themselves they're doing what's best for the business. What they fail to see, however, are the very real costs these meetings impose on productivity, focus, and employee engagement.
After all, time is a zero-sum game. Every minute spent in a useless meeting is a minute taken away from the deep, focused work that drives innovation and efficiency. And speaking of focus, research shows that constant meeting interruptions severely undermine our ability to engage in the kind of uninterrupted "deep work" that's so essential for creativity and problem-solving.
The consequences of this meeting madness can be severe. One study across 20 organizations found that dysfunctional meeting behaviors - like going off-topic, complaining, and pointless criticism - were directly linked to lower market share, less innovation, and poorer employment stability. Yikes.
So, what's the solution? While many experts offer discrete tips like establishing clear agendas or holding stand-up meetings, the truth is that real change requires a more systemic approach. After all, meetings don't exist in a vacuum - they're deeply intertwined with how teams collaborate and how individuals get their work done.
That means rethinking everything from your meeting culture to your overall work processes. Maybe it's time to establish clear guidelines around when meetings are truly necessary, or empower someone to keep discussions on track. Perhaps you need to block off "focus time" to ensure your people can dive into deep work without constant interruptions.
So, what's the solution? While many experts offer discrete tips like establishing clear agendas or holding stand-up meetings, the truth is that real change requires a more systemic approach. After all, meetings don't exist in a vacuum - they're deeply intertwined with how teams collaborate and how individuals get their work done.
That means rethinking everything from your meeting culture to your overall work processes. Maybe it's time to establish clear guidelines around when meetings are truly necessary, or empower someone to keep discussions on track. Perhaps you need to block off "focus time" to ensure your people can dive into deep work without constant interruptions.
Bekky Bekks
Whatever the specifics, the key is to approach the meeting problem holistically. Because as long as executives continue to view meetings as an untouchable "necessary evil," the pain is only going to get worse. And with research showing the steep costs of dysfunctional meetings, that's a price no business can afford to pay.
So take a hard look at your meeting practices. Are they serving your company, or are they crushing productivity and sapping morale? The authors of the article Stop the Meeting Madness in Harward Business Review mean that it may be time for a meeting revolution - one that frees up your people to do their best, most innovative work.
So take a hard look at your meeting practices. Are they serving your company, or are they crushing productivity and sapping morale? The authors of the article Stop the Meeting Madness in Harward Business Review mean that it may be time for a meeting revolution - one that frees up your people to do their best, most innovative work.
Christina Branco
Here are several key recommendations that we at BeeOurly find extremely insightful:
•Establish clear guidelines on when meetings are truly necessary, rather than defaulting to "necessary evil"
•Empower someone (e.g. a meeting facilitator) to keep discussions on track and prevent dysfunctional behaviors like going off-topic
•Block off "focus time" to allow employees to engage in deep, uninterrupted work without constant meeting interruptions
•Rethink your overall work processes and meeting culture - meetings don't exist in a vacuum, so a holistic approach is required
•View meetings not as an untouchable obligation, but as a tool that should serve your company's productivity and innovation, not undermine it
•Take a hard look at your current meeting practices and be willing to enact a "meeting revolution" if they are crushing productivity and morale
•Establish clear guidelines on when meetings are truly necessary, rather than defaulting to "necessary evil"
•Empower someone (e.g. a meeting facilitator) to keep discussions on track and prevent dysfunctional behaviors like going off-topic
•Block off "focus time" to allow employees to engage in deep, uninterrupted work without constant meeting interruptions
•Rethink your overall work processes and meeting culture - meetings don't exist in a vacuum, so a holistic approach is required
•View meetings not as an untouchable obligation, but as a tool that should serve your company's productivity and innovation, not undermine it
•Take a hard look at your current meeting practices and be willing to enact a "meeting revolution" if they are crushing productivity and morale