Everyone working in an organization knows that meetings occur at a frantic pace, with managers spending an average of 23 hours per week in meetings. Much of what happens in these meetings is of low value, or even counterproductive, according to a newspaper report. The irony is that bad meetings generate more meetings in an attempt to repair the damage caused by previous ones. It all begins with a simple, often forgotten question: Why are we meeting?
Based on a series of studies covering thousands of meetings, researchers identified four main types of meeting objectives. They emphasized that the method and timing of a meeting should be chosen according to its main purpose, not out of habit.
Moreover, the study outlines simple but effective ways to improve the group meeting experience. Researchers explained that companies where only loud voices are heard in meetings rarely succeed outside the meeting room. Conversely, well-managed meetings can become spaces for co-creation, mutual respect, and collective innovation.
The goal should not be to have fewer meetings, but better ones. Meetings that respect everyone’s time and effort. Meetings that give everyone a voice. Meetings that build communication, enhance company productivity, and improve employee well-being.
