11 Ways to Make Meetings Hurt Less

Making appointments and holding meetings can be personally painful for me, especially when I feel I'm not adding value or when time seems to slip away without accomplishing much - and this is exponentially worse when it is taking time away from creative tasks, deep work, and time with loved ones.

I believe in this so much that I made this very post a mandatory practice for my company, and sent the following slack message to all Full Time Employees and support staff:

Hi @All Staff Channel        

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on my post about meetings. Your understanding and support mean a lot to me. If you haven’t read it yet, please do, and make sure to follow the 11 guidelines I've outlined. If a meeting doesn’t meet these criteria and I end up leaving, you’ll know why. As the CEO, it's crucial for us to make the most of our time together.         

Best, Lou        

Meetings are a necessary evil in the professional world. Despite their intended purpose to foster collaboration and drive productivity, many meetings end up being unproductive time-sinks. Research has shown that the average professional spends around 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings, which can lead to stress, frustration, and decreased job satisfaction. According to a study by Microsoft's Human Factors Lab, frequent, uninterrupted meetings significantly increase stress levels, as indicated by elevated beta brainwave activity - which harms well-being and potentially reduces lifespan by contributing to chronic stress and related health issues.

To put it in perspective, professionals waste about 22,320 minutes annually in unproductive meetings, which equates to 1,339,200 seconds.

This wasted time is stripping away precious life moments that could be spent on more fulfilling activities such as spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or engaging in deep, meaningful work.

Here's how you can ensure your meetings are efficient and productive, maximizing every precious second:

1. Start with a Clear Purpose

Define the purpose of your meeting upfront. Whether it's for decision-making, problem-solving, or brainstorming, knowing the goal helps keep everyone focused and ensures the meeting is necessary.

2. Share an Agenda in Advance

Distribute a clear and focused agenda ahead of time to ensure that all participants come prepared and know what to expect, making the meeting more efficient and productive.

3. Limit the Length

Most one-hour meetings can be reduced to 15-30 minutes. Timeboxing meetings keep participants on topic and make the discussion more efficient.

4. Stand Up

Consider stand-up meetings to keep things short and focused. When participants remain standing (even on Zoom/Google Meet), they are less likely to engage in lengthy, off-topic discussions.

5. Use the Right Tools

Not every issue requires a meeting. When appropriate, use emails, collaboration platforms, or quick phone calls to drastically reduce the number of unnecessary meetings.

6. Embrace Co-Creation

Co-creation involves everyone in developing ideas and solutions. This inclusive approach fosters innovation and ensures that all voices are heard, leading to better outcomes. Ensure that everyone is called on and has equal air time if you have only 3-4 people, and if you have more break them up into groups of 3-4 and have the group scribe report back out to you in round robins. Examples of successful co-creation meetings include McDonald's Happy Meal and Amazon Prime, both born from employee contributions.

7. Start with Silence

Inspired by Amazon, begin your meetings with a few minutes of silence so everyone can read the meeting's narrative memo. This practice ensures that everyone is equally informed and ready to discuss.

8. Tell a Story

Use narratives instead of bullet points. Jeff Bezos of Amazon emphasizes storytelling to make meetings more engaging and memorable, which helps participants understand and retain the information better.

9. Keep Meetings Small

Follow Amazon's two-pizza rule: keep meetings small enough that two pizzas can feed everyone. Smaller groups encourage active participation and more meaningful discussions.

10. Assign Roles

Designate a moderator, notetaker, timekeeper, and technical support for each meeting. Clear roles help manage the meeting effectively and capture all critical points and actions.

11. Follow Up

After the meeting, distribute notes and action items promptly to ensure accountability and keep everyone on track for implementing decisions made during the meeting.

Why Unproductive Meetings Hurt

Unproductive meetings don't just waste time—they can also significantly negatively impact well-being and productivity. Excessive meetings can lead to stress and burnout as employees have less time to complete their work, which often results in sacrificing personal time, leading to a detrimental work-life balance. Furthermore, unproductive meetings can prevent deep work, which is critical for tasks that require high cognitive engagement. Constant interruptions from meetings make achieving the flow state needed for such work difficult, leading to lower overall productivity.

By respecting and valuing time, incorporating co-creation, and following these best practices, you can transform meetings into productive and meaningful sessions everyone values. Let's make every second count and turn meetings into a powerful tool for collaboration and innovation.