Managing to Squeeze some Work in Between Meetings? How to Change Meeting Overload
4 min read
TLDR: Excessive time spent in meetings is one of the stand out frustrations for employees. To alleviate, understand the scale of the issue and then agree a plan to reduce down by having structured meetings with an agenda and objectives, reviewing whether meetings can be commuted to other forms of communication such as email or message platforms, streamlining existing meetings in both length and frequency and by considering such tools as core business hours for meetings and meeting-free days.
Show me a facet of the modern workplace that’s hated more than relentless back-to-back meetings and I’ll show you the number one productivity killer in our working lives. It’s hardly a new problem - I’ve been hearing the lament from colleagues to varying degrees my entire corporate career. It’s not a function of modern-working therefore - it’s an organisational culturally-driven phenomenon that is curable. That said, there is evidence that it’s getting worse. In a recent Harvard Business Review paper, it was reported that meetings have increased in length and frequency over the past 50 years, to the point where executives spend an average of nearly 23 hours a week in them, up from less than 10 hours in the 1960s.
While they are essential for collaboration, decision-making, and communication, an excess can lead to overload. This phenomenon not only drains time and energy but also hampers productivity and employee morale. In this blog, we will delve into the reasons behind meeting overload, what drives it, and provide five effective strategies to alleviate it.
The Causes of Meeting Overload
Meeting overload occurs when the number and duration of meetings hinder rather than help productivity, often going back-to-back and leaving no time in between for action-based work or even mental preparation for the next meeting. Several factors contribute to this issue:
Organisational Culture: In some organisations, there is a pervasive culture where meetings are the go-to solution for every issue. This often stems from a desire for transparency and inclusivity but may also stem from a cultural toxicity causing fear and an inability to make decisions. A subset of this is called ‘pluralistic ignorance’ and is a situation where nobody speaks up despite thinking that a meeting is ineffective and a waste of time because they believe that they’re the only one thinking it - in reality, many are thinking it but do not speak up due to fear.
Lack of Clear Objectives: Meetings without clear agendas or goals can quickly devolve into unproductive sessions. Without a defined purpose, discussions can meander, leading to wasted time, repetitive conversations and, ironically, more meetings.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Employees often attend meetings out of a fear of missing out on important information or decisions or being judged for their absence. This can lead to overcrowded meetings with participants who do not need to be there.
Inefficient Meeting Practices: Poorly-managed meetings, where time is not respected, discussions not kept on track and output not being recorded and circulated contribute significantly to meeting overload. These meetings often run longer than necessary or necessitate further meetings due to their lack of focus and output.
Remote Work and Digital Tools: The rise of remote work and digital collaboration tools has made it easier to schedule and attend meetings. While this has its benefits, it also means that meetings can be scheduled with little regard for participants' time zones and workloads.
Use as a Commitment Mechanism: Meetings are sometimes scheduled as a means to hold others accountable. Whilst it is true that a deadline often drives focus, all too often meetings are still held despite subsequent actions and follow-up being circulated, merely to restate what is already known to those present.
The Consequences of Meeting Overload
Meeting overload can have several negative consequences for both individuals and organisations:
Reduced Productivity: Time spent in unproductive meetings is time not spent on actual work. This can lead to missed deadlines and lower quality of work.
Increased Stress and Fatigue: Constantly moving from one meeting to another can be mentally exhausting.
Decreased Employee Morale: When employees feel their time is not respected, it can lead to frustration and disengagement.
Ineffective Decision-Making: Overloaded meetings often result in rushed decisions or deferred discussions, leading to poor outcomes.
Strategies to Alleviate Meeting Overload
To address meeting overload, organisations need to adopt a more thoughtful approach to scheduling and conducting meetings. Here are five strategies to help alleviate:
1. Implement a Meeting-Free Day
One effective tactic is to designate a specific day of the week as a meeting-free day. This allows employees to have uninterrupted time to focus on their tasks and projects. Meeting-free days can lead to increased productivity and provide a much-needed break from the constant interruption of meetings, in addition to creating a demand for fewer meetings in the other days of the week.
2. Set Clear Agendas and Objectives
Every meeting should have a clear agenda and defined objectives. The agenda should be shared with all participants in advance, allowing them to prepare and ensuring that the meeting stays on track. By having a clear purpose, meetings can be more focused and efficient, reducing the likelihood of them running over time or becoming repetitive.
3. Create Core Business Hours when Meetings can be Scheduled
This often goes hand-in-hand with locational flexibility as organisations allow employees greater flexibility in their work patterns. Even if this isn’t being practised, a core meeting ‘workday’ of, say, 10am-3pm, allows employees to focus on other times in the day on their individual tasklist.
4. Encourage Asynchronous Communication
Not all discussions require a meeting. Encouraging the use of asynchronous communication tools, such as email, project management platforms, and collaborative documents, can reduce the need. Asynchronous communication allows employees to respond in their own time, leading to more thoughtful and considered contributions.
5. Evaluate and Streamline Recurring Meetings
Recurring meetings can be a significant source of meeting overload. It is essential to regularly evaluate these meetings to determine if they are still necessary and if their frequency is appropriate. Some recurring meetings might be reduced in frequency, combined with others, or eliminated altogether if they no longer serve a vital purpose. Running anonymous polls after such meetings can give an insight into a meeting’s value.
Creating a Balanced Meeting Culture
Addressing meeting overload requires a cultural shift within the organisation. Here are some additional tips to create a more balanced meeting culture:
Empower Employees to Decline Meetings: Encourage employees to decline meetings that they feel are not relevant to them or where they cannot add value. This requires a cultural acceptance that not everyone needs to be in every meeting.
Promote Time Management Skills: Provide training and resources on time management and effective meeting practices. This can help employees make the most of their time and conduct more efficient meetings.
Leverage Technology Wisely: Use technology to your advantage by utilising features such as meeting reminders, time limits, and collaborative tools that enhance productivity without contributing to meeting overload.
Set a Good Example: Leaders should model good meeting behaviour by being punctual, prepared, and respectful of others' time. This sets the tone for the rest of the organisation and reinforces the importance of effective meeting practices.
Of course, there’s no catch-all remedy for an organisation’s addiction to meetings. Many are grounded in human bias, and these biases are difficult to overcome. The first step is recognition of the problem, which, if not apparent, is best identified through employee feedback. Then source issues can be identified and workshopped allowing both leaders and teams to work towards healthier, more-effective communication methods and ultimately clearer diaries.
If any of this resonates with you as an organisational leader and you’d like a discussion as to how I might help, please contact me here.
