Meeting Smarter: Stop Draining Time, Start Driving Results

“Meetings should have as few people as possible, but all the right people.” — Charles W. Scharf

Meetings are generally considered the most wasteful use of time in corporate America. Our goal should be to minimize their impact and maximize efficiency. For further insight, check out Reclaim Your Workday: How to Escape the Meeting Trap.

The Cost of Meetings

Before scheduling a meeting, always consider its financial cost. A weekly one-hour meeting with eight employees costs a company approximately $41,000 per year (factoring in salaries, benefits, and operational costs at an estimated $100 per person per hour). That doesn’t include the additional cost of lost productivity and diminished morale.

Remember Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Start the meeting with a clear agenda, achieve the objectives efficiently, and end it promptly.

Apply the One-Third Rule

A truly productive meeting requires more than just the meeting itself—it demands thoughtful preparation and follow-up. A skilled facilitator should allocate time as follows:

• 1/3 for meeting preparation – Set objectives, create an agenda, and share pertinent materials.

• 1/3 for facilitating the meeting – Keep discussions focused, engage participants, and drive toward actionable outcomes.

• 1/3 for meeting follow-up – After the meeting, summarize key takeaways, assign action items, hold participants accountable, and ensure that follow-up tasks are completed.

Before the Meeting

Question every meeting. Status updates, check-ins, and working sessions are often unnecessary. A meeting should:

• Provide tangible value - Is the most efficient method? Would email, Slack, or a shared document be more efficient?

• Send agenda and supporting materials well in advance - Outline what you want to achieve and distribute relevant material ahead of time so all attendees are prepared.

• Include only essential attendees - Distinguish contributors from those who just need to know the outcome—extra attendees often feel compelled to speak to justify their presence.

• Maintain consistency - If recurring, schedule at the same time and place.

During the Meeting

• Start on time - Set a standard of punctuality. Address lateness directly. Don't waste people's time.

• Base decisions on data - Share relevant information in advance to build an informed foundation for discussions.

• Review goals and agenda – Align expectations to begin the meeting.

• Enforce engagement rules - No laptops, phones, or side conversations. If all attendees are required and engaged, there is no time to "multitask". Respect your colleagues.

• Encourage junior employees to speak first - Prevent influence from senior voices.

• Foster active listening - Periodically ask for input to ensure full engagement. Active listening means:

  • Avoiding distractions – No multitasking, side conversations, or checking devices.

  • Listening without interrupting – Let speakers finish their thoughts.

  • Resisting the urge to plan a rebuttal – Focus on understanding before responding.

  • Withholding judgment – Comprehension doesn't mean agreement.

• Keep discussions goal-oriented - The facilitator must guide conversation without impeding creativity.

• Prevent tangents - Use phrases like, “That’s a great point, but let’s table it for another discussion.”

• Control emotions - Focus on developing the best solutions instead of dogmatically defending ideas. As Daniel Goleman said in Emotional Intelligence, “Out-of-control emotions can make smart people stupid.”

• Encouraging participation - Randomly asking attendees for input will ensure engagement and diverse perspectives.

• Make quick decisions and act - Avoid using pursuit of total consensus as a form of procrastination. As Larry Page said, Not all decisions require total agreement and consensus can diffuse ownership.

• End the meeting as soon as goals are met - Respect your colleagues' time.

Disagree and Commit

Disagree and Commit is a principle embraced by Andy Grove, Peter Drucker, and Jeff Bezos. Healthy disagreement is essential for strong decision-making.

• Once pertinent voices are heard, a decision is made.

• Some may still disagree, but all must commit.

• No after-meeting grumbling—mature teams understand that not every idea will be chosen, but everyone must do their best to make the final decision succeed.

• Timely decisions beat prolonged discussions, which often let the loudest voices dominate rather than the best solutions.

After the Meeting

• Coach attendees immediately: If any attendee was unprepared, disengaged, or disruptive, provide constructive one-on-one feedback promptly to address the issue.

• Send clear follow-up notes: Include action items, owners, and due dates.

• Follow up on tasks: The full value of meetings is realized only when action items are completed.

By following these principles, companies can reduce wasted time, improve decision-making, and maintain high employee morale. Meetings should be a tool for progress, not a productivity drain.