Reclaim Your Workday: How to Escape the Meeting Trap

“People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.” — Thomas Sowell

Several years ago, I found myself spending most of my time in meetings—many of them frustratingly unproductive. Senior leaders often arrived late, unprepared, and little was accomplished. During yet another ineffective discussion, as I stared out the window, it hit me—life was too short for this. These meetings weren’t just a waste of time; they were a symptom of deeper organizational dysfunction. Not long after, I made the decision to resign.

Meetings Are an Expensive Habit

According to The Harvard Business Review, 71% of senior managers say meetings are unproductive and inefficient and the average worker spends 31 hours per week in unproductive meetings (Atlassian). Most people don’t consider the actual cost of meetings. Think about it:

• A weekly one-hour meeting with eight employees costs a company approximately $41,000 per year. (Including salary, benefits, and operational costs at an estimated $100 per person/per hour.)

• Multiply this throughout the organization, and the financial impact becomes staggering.

If people were more mindful of these costs, they would likely schedule fewer and more effective meetings. For my thoughts on efficient meetings, read Meeting Smarter: Stop Draining Time, Start Driving Results

The Hidden Cost of Meetings: How They Destroy Productivity and Morale

Being selective about which meetings to attend is crucial because excessive, ineffective meetings erode two of the most critical factors in job satisfaction:

1. Meaningful Work – Employees become disengaged when they spend hours in meetings instead of focusing on the work that energized them - producing meaningful results.

2. Empowerment – Poorly structured meetings rob employees of control over their time, leading to frustration, decreased motivation and ultimately burnout.

Leveraging Our Most Valuable Work Time

The most productive time is spent “in the zone”—also known as flow state. This is when we are fully immersed in an activity, deeply focused, and energized. Flow drives innovation and problem-solving, leading to our best ideas and solutions.

The vast majority of meetings interrupt flow. Instead of fostering productivity, they:

• Pull employees away from deep work.

• Disrupt momentum, making it harder to regain focus.

• Force professionals to cede control of their time to others.

Imagine an employee under pressure to meet a deadline. Instead of making progress, they are forced into back-to-back, low-value meetings. The result? Late nights, burnout, and resentment.

Practical Steps to Fix Meeting Culture

To reclaim productivity, organizations must fundamentally change how they approach meetings:

• Rethink Every Meeting – Always consider the true cost of a meeting and ask yourself: Is this meeting essential, or is there a more efficient way to achieve our goal?

• Set a High Standard for Meetings – Every meeting should have a clear purpose, agenda, and defined outcomes. If these elements are missing, reconsider whether the meeting is necessary.

• Create Autonomous Teams – Cross-department communication often triggers unnecessary meetings. Build autonomous teams that minimize silos and reduce reliance on managerial oversight.

• Prioritize Asynchronous Communication – Leverage Slack or collaborative documents to share information and gather input without disrupting workflow.

• Protect Deep Work with “No Meeting” Blocks – Dedicate specific time slots for uninterrupted focus, allowing employees to operate in their most productive state.

• Keep Meetings Short and Selective – limit meeting duration and invite only those whose contributions are essential.

• Monitor and Minimize Meeting Costs – Raise awareness of the financial and productivity impact of meetings to encourage more mindful scheduling.

Declining meetings—especially from senior colleagues—can be challenging. The key is to establish and uphold high meeting standards. If a meeting lacks structure or effectiveness, address it tactfully with the facilitator, suggest concrete improvements, or opt out.

Final Thought

Meetings are not inherently bad—but too many, poorly structured ones are toxic to productivity and morale. Leaders must take responsibility for empowering employees to do meaningful work rather than waste time in unnecessary meetings.

Next time you schedule a meeting, ask yourself: Is this the best use of everyone’s time? If the answer isn’t a strong yes, consider skipping it.