I enable organizations to simplify so they can focus on valuable work. As founder and CEO of FutureThink in NYC, I’ve helped orgs like Google and Novartis kill complexity so they can better drive change. When I’m not delivering keynotes, I’m writing books on simplification and change (Kill the Company and Why Simple Wins).
Meetings have become the default solution to almost every business problem. Need to share an update? Set up a meeting. Have a question? Set up a meeting. Want to stay aligned on a project? Set up a meeting, and make it recurring while you’re at it. As a result, we’re drowning in meetings, and it's costing us our productivity. The irony is, in an age where we have more tools to communicate than ever before, we’re talking ourselves out of the work that truly matters.
According to a study completed by Atlassian, 54% of workers frequently leave meetings without a clear idea of next steps or who owns which task. Part of it is cultural. There’s a pervasive belief that meetings are the best way to get things done, to collaborate, and to ensure everyone is on the same page. However, this mindset is flawed. It’s time to stop and consider if every problem deserves a meeting to discuss a potential solution, or if there’s a better way to communicate with one another.A report by Harvard Business Review found that employee productivity was 71% higher when meetings were reduced by 40%.
Moreover, the constant barrage of meetings leaves little room for deep, focused work—the kind that leads to innovation and progress. In the rush to meet, we’re not carving out time to think, brainstorm, or strategize. Instead, we’re discussing information that could have been more efficiently communicated via email or a team collaboration platform, like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
So, how do we stop this cycle of unproductive meetings and reclaim our time? It starts with redefining how we use our communication channels.First and foremost, we need to be intentional about which communication tools we use and when. Not every interaction requires a meeting. Emails should be reserved for sharing information, updates, and documentation. Team collaboration platforms are great for quick questions, clarifications, or discussions that don’t require a formal meeting.
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