The Surprising Science of Meetings

1. Meetings are essential but often ineffective, costing organizations time and money

"Too many meetings" was the number one time-waster at the office, cited by 47 percent of 3,164 workers in a study conducted by Salary.com focused on workplace time drains.

Meetings are ubiquitous. In the United States alone, there are approximately 55 million meetings per day, costing an estimated $1.4 trillion annually – or 8.2% of the 2014 US GDP. This staggering investment often yields poor returns, with many employees viewing meetings as unproductive and frustrating.

Meetings serve vital functions. Despite their flaws, meetings are essential for:

• Building relationships and support networks
• Sharing ideas and opinions
• Creating shared understanding
• Fostering commitment to goals and initiatives
• Bringing individuals together as a cohesive unit

The challenge is improvement. Rather than eliminating meetings, organizations must focus on making them more effective and efficient. This requires addressing issues such as poor planning, unnecessary attendees, and lack of engagement.

2. Leaders overestimate their meeting skills, necessitating feedback and self-awareness

"If you lack self-awareness you can't change. Why should you? As far as you're concerned you're doing everything right."

Self-perception bias. Research consistently shows that people, including leaders, tend to overestimate their abilities. This "Lake Wobegon Effect" extends to meeting leadership, with leaders often rating their meetings more favorably than attendees.

Feedback is crucial. To improve meeting effectiveness, leaders must:

• Seek honest feedback from attendees
• Implement regular meeting evaluations
• Use 360-degree feedback surveys that include meeting-related questions
• Pay attention to nonverbal cues during meetings (e.g., attendee engagement, side conversations)

Adopt a servant leader mindset. Effective meeting leaders prioritize:

• Being stewards of others' time
• Facilitating rather than dominating discussions
• Encouraging participation from all attendees
• Managing group dynamics and conflicts constructively

3. Optimize meeting length and frequency to increase productivity and engagement

"If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be meetings."

Parkinson's Law applies to meetings. Work expands to fill the time allotted, so leaders should:

• Critically assess necessary meeting duration
• Consider unconventional meeting lengths (e.g., 48 minutes)
• Reduce standard hour-long meetings to 50 minutes
• Implement the "speedy meetings" setting in scheduling software

Experiment with meeting frequency. Options include:

• Daily or weekly "huddles" (10-15 minute stand-up meetings)
• Reducing overall meeting frequency
• Designating meeting-free days or time blocks

Balance is key. While reducing unproductive meeting time is crucial, be cautious not to eliminate necessary collaboration and communication opportunities.

4. Craft purposeful agendas and invite only necessary participants

"Never miss a good chance to shut up."

Agendas are not cure-alls. Simply having an agenda doesn't guarantee meeting success. Instead:

• Create purposeful, prioritized agendas
• Solicit input from attendees on agenda items
• Consider assigning time limits to agenda topics
• Distribute agendas in advance, along with any necessary pre-reading

Optimize attendee lists. To combat "bloated" meetings:

• Invite only those essential to meeting goals
• Use timed agendas to allow partial attendance
• Implement "representative voices" for larger groups
• Share meeting notes with non-attendees to maintain inclusion

Foster psychological safety. Create an environment where attendees feel comfortable sharing ideas and disagreeing constructively.

5. Implement innovative meeting formats to boost energy and creativity

"Variety's the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor."

Break habitual meeting patterns. Experiment with:

• Walking meetings for small groups (2-4 people)
• Standing meetings for shorter durations (15-20 minutes)
• Changing seating arrangements or meeting locations
• Using fidget toys or coloring books to boost focus

Leverage technology thoughtfully. Consider:

• Using clicker quizzes for real-time feedback and engagement
• Implementing shared note-taking platforms
• Utilizing virtual whiteboards for collaborative ideation

Balance structure and flexibility. While innovation is important, maintain consistency in core meeting elements to avoid confusion.

6. Foster positive energy and active participation from the start

"Emotions are contagious, and meetings are not immune to this phenomenon."

Set the tone immediately. Begin meetings with:

• Enthusiastic greetings and check-ins
• Brief icebreakers or appreciation exercises
• Clear statements of meeting purpose and goals
• Reminders of "meeting values" or ground rules

Minimize distractions. Consider:

• Implementing a "no device" policy
• Providing snacks to boost mood and energy
• Using music to create separation from pre-meeting activities

Encourage active participation. Techniques include:

• Assigning roles to attendees (e.g., timekeeper, note-taker)
• Using pair discussions before full-group sharing
• Implementing role-playing exercises
• Regularly calling on quieter attendees for input

7. Leverage silence and written communication for more effective idea generation

"Meetings done well, leveraging evidence-based solutions like the ones we'll explore in this book, can be transformative and hugely positive."

Brainwriting trumps brainstorming. Research shows that silent, written idea generation often produces more and higher-quality ideas than traditional verbal brainstorming. Techniques include:

• Individual idea generation on paper or sticky notes
• Gallery walks with written comments on posted ideas
• Silent reading and reflection on proposals before discussion

Benefits of written communication:

• Reduces "production blocking" in verbal discussions
• Mitigates fear of social judgment
• Ensures participation from all attendees
• Allows for deeper processing of information

Implement strategically. Use silent techniques for specific meeting segments, rather than entire meetings, to maintain a balance of communication styles.

8. Adapt facilitation techniques for remote and audio-only meetings

"Having spent over a decade researching how to make meetings more effective, I genuinely believe that the remote, audio-only meeting is the most difficult type of meeting to run—at least if you wish to yield a positive outcome."

Combat unique challenges. Remote meetings, especially audio-only, face issues like:

• Increased potential for multitasking and disengagement
• Difficulty in managing conversation flow
• Lack of nonverbal cues

Facilitation strategies:

• Use video whenever possible
• Implement a "no mute" policy to increase engagement
• Actively manage turn-taking and participation
• Utilize chat features for questions and comments
• Break larger groups into smaller "subteams" for discussion

Leverage asynchronous work. Use "meeting intervals" to:

• Gather input before meetings
• Allow for individual reflection and idea generation
• Conduct voting or prioritization exercises

9. Continuous reflection and improvement are key to meeting success

"Try, reflect, and learn. Try, reflect, and learn."

Regular evaluation is crucial. Implement:

• Brief post-meeting surveys
• Periodic in-depth meeting assessments
• Open discussions about meeting effectiveness

Experiment and iterate. Continuously:

• Try new meeting techniques and formats
• Solicit feedback on innovations
• Adapt approaches based on results

Lead by example. By prioritizing meeting improvement:

• Demonstrate commitment to organizational efficiency
• Inspire others to enhance their own meeting practices
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation

Last updated: February 4, 2025