Many people who have heard the adage 'work smart, not hard' might think that my claim here is building on that idea and echoing that sentiment, but they'd be wrong. As the nature of work continues to come under intense scrutiny, focused primarily on the 'where' debates about the frequency and necessity of workplace meetings have also grown. This topic is now discussed at a considerable volume, and rightly so. In 2024, we have many opportunities to change productivity, creativity and employee satisfaction. There is a compelling case for work teams to have away fewer meetings, which I buy a lot. Let me tell you why.

Connected: 5 ways to make sure your meetings are worth attending

The cost of redundant meetings

The cost of moving people excessive meetings is first up. At the core of most work teams, managers and bosses are usually quite careful about the composition of the teams and the costs they incur. Keeping meetings is something that most see as a productive, progressive task, and therefore, it often slips under the radar when it comes to eliminating unnecessary and costly activities. However, current research and personal experience tell me it shouldn't. Research highlights a trend where too many meetings can significantly decrease productivity. Specifically, a study conducted by Harvard Business Review found a fairly significant 71% increase in employee productivity and satisfaction when meeting frequencies were reduced by 40%.

So not only do you increase your team's productivity when you reduce meetings, but you also get more bang for your buck with your staff. It is extremely common that not every meeting section will apply to every participant and their workflow, and therefore, people find themselves twiddling their thumbs and listening to the work of colleagues present out of courtesy to them and the leader of the meeting.

Could this time be better spent elsewhere? Almost certainly. Could the information be delivered in a better and more targeted way? Of course.

As mentioned at the beginning, there are opportunities to deliver information more efficiently than in a meeting that arise with new technologies, such as LazyThe notion or Bubbles. Don't waste your colleagues' time on unworkable meetings and the money you spend on their salaries. Instead, discuss what needs to be discussed in the meeting and continue that meeting conversation asynchronously with a tool like the one above, keeping the details and context of the information provided, but in a more efficient way.

Connected: Get the most out of remote dating and avoid dating burnout

Psychological and operational impact

It's not all about cost, and in fact, many bosses would prioritize it operational greatness on some additional expenses. Therefore, we need to see how this claim stands within the operational side of things. I want to dig deeper into the statistics just covered to ask if this is just an anomaly and preference of a select few or if the vast majority believe that reduced meetings will positively impact their workplace operations.

I've noticed and heard from my team members that meeting less allows them to feel more autonomous and less micromanaged, which means they hold themselves more accountable for getting work done.

We experience that work alone increases the possibility of deep focus, something essential in creative roles. We find that scheduling a team meeting to discuss a larger portion of completed or blocked work means we operate at optimum efficiency with increased output. As I claimed, it is about making the right decisions with the technologies available to us in 2024.

That was more functional, so let's dive deep into the psychology. Meetings often lead to what is known as “Dating Recovery Syndrome“, where employees need time to gather their thoughts and mentally recover after frequent, long or chaotic meetings.

Connected: Meetings Suck. Here are 5 ways to make them suck less.

Strategic meeting reduction techniques

Now that we have more clarity, let's look at how your business can optimize meeting practices:

• Days without meetings: Allow that deep work to be done. Have days where interruptions are rare and let workflows thrive with focus.
• Priority for agenda-driven meetings: Don't date if you don't know why you're dating. Annette Catino, CEO of QualCare Alliance Network, put this nicely: “Give me an agenda or I won't sit there.” Meet better, not more often.
• Limit the duration and size of the meeting: Amazon uses one the two pizza rule — Don't invite more people than two pizzas can feed. Don't flood the room and don't overcrowd it, and you'll get more thoughtful input and results.
• Embrace technology: Integrate AI tools, meeting management tools and platforms that can automate parts of meetings to maximize efficiency. Don't waste your time doing silly, mundane tasks.

That's how you'll get to the future of dating. They are set to become more strategic and rather than being the default communication method, teams (the good ones) will adopt a more thoughtful approach where they assess the real need for each meeting and the potential value it has. Don't be behind the curve, and from now on, create a culture that makes meetings better, not busier, whether you're in person or remote.