{"id":33987,"date":"2015-07-15T18:23:02","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T02:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=33987"},"modified":"2015-07-15T18:23:02","modified_gmt":"2015-07-16T02:23:02","slug":"how-we-waste-37-billion-per-year-in-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-we-waste-37-billion-per-year-in-meetings\/","title":{"rendered":"How We Waste $37 Billion Per Year in Meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/h3>\n

The Practical Alternative To Work<\/h3>\n

Why am I here?<\/h3>\n

This question haunts many of us. Every day, there are 11 million business meetings in the US, and 50{54c12dad2cc2b53ae830e39915b1a3e70288dbcbbeb8bbf8395437c5dc3c512c} of these meetings are deemed a waste of time. We sit through these sessions and endure them, despite an obvious and glaring lack of purpose, agenda, and set of outcomes. What\u2019s more mid-blowing is that the estimated cost of unproductive meetings is $37 billion US dollars per year. That’s a lot of money just to eat donuts, feel important, use laser pointers, and impress colleagues.<\/p>\n

How does this happen?<\/p>\n

7 pitfalls<\/strong> occur regularly in your meetings.<\/p>\n

1. Expectations<\/h3>\n

Lack of purpose. Lack of expected outcomes. Lack of agenda.<\/h3>\n

The most common reason for unproductive meetings is unclear expectations. The purpose of the meeting and type of meeting are very important to clarify in advance. The agenda should reflect the purpose and type of meeting, while structuring a logical and sequential path to reach the expected outcomes.<\/p>\n

2. People<\/h3>\n

Too many people. Wrong\u00a0people.\u00a0Unclear role of each person.<\/h3>\n

Have you ever sit in meetings wondering who people are, why they\u2019re here, and what they actually do? Precious time is spent on introductions! And some people just sit there and contribute nothing because they are unclear of their responsibilities. Key takeaway from this is to spend time\u00a0crafting\u00a0the right profile of attendees\u00a0and to limit\u00a0invitation to people\u00a0who are necessary and committed\u00a0to the meeting’s\u00a0purpose and expected outcomes.<\/p>\n

3. Homework<\/h3>\n

Lack of tasks.\u00a0Incomplete tasks.\u00a0Rushed\u00a0assignment of tasks.<\/h3>\n

Do you assign homework for each meeting? Do you embed pre-meeting tasks in the calendar invite? Maybe you use a gigantic Google Doc? But how many of your guests complete their assigned tasks? None, maybe one? Main reason people don\u2019t finish pre-meeting tasks: the tasks seem unimportant when not explicitly linked to the meeting\u2019s purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes. Takeaway: Every meeting facilitator must clarify the context and significance of each pre-meeting task.<\/p>\n

4. Time Management<\/h3>\n

Starting late.\u00a0Ending late.\u00a0Late attendees disrupting agenda.<\/h3>\n

In many cases, people run chronically late because they double-book themselves for meetings or don\u2019t add buffer to estimated travel time. We often run late from previous meetings that ran late. Without a clear definition of what it means for a meeting to conclude, i.e. expected outcomes, we find ourselves in overrun get-togethers, which cause domino-effect problems for meetings later the same day.<\/p>\n

5. Facilitator<\/h3>\n

Excessive\u00a0content.\u00a0Straying from agenda. Unwanted\u00a0Monologues.<\/h3>\n

It sounds like common sense that facilitators need to keep meetings on track. Digging deeper, we learned that holding the reins and enforcing the agenda is\u00a0daunting. Many professionals\u00a0worry that demonstrating assertiveness, or perceived aggressiveness, may jeopardize popularity or rapport. The reality is that people want you, the meeting facilitator, to silence Bob\u2019s monologue and minimize tangential discussions, as cordially as possible.<\/p>\n

6. Etiquette<\/h3>\n

Multitasking.\u00a0People interrupting each other.\u00a0Emotional outbursts.<\/h3>\n

Yes, we\u2019ve all done it. Our phones vibrate with a new message, and we leap to see the preview. It\u2019s a Pavlovian reaction, but everyone does it. Needless to say, meeting etiquette is a big frustration. People interrupt each other without listening, without pause. When a meeting devolves into such chaos, the meeting facilitator must take the helm, enforcing structure.<\/p>\n

7. Follow Up<\/h3>\n

Lack of meeting minutes. Lack of action items.\u00a0Misinterpretation.<\/h3>\n

Lack of meeting minutes is a strong signal of unproductive, ineffective meetings. If nobody captures the decisions and action items, then nobody is accountable for the decisions and action items. In short, the meeting will have been a colossal waste of time. High-quality meeting minutes consolidate the moving parts, bringing everyone together on the same page. They also\u00a0reduce misinterpretation, reinforce alignment, thereby reducing misinterpretation and serving as context for future meetings.<\/p>\n

Diagnosis<\/h3>\n

Unproductive meetings are painful, aggravating, and wasteful. The opportunity cost of every meeting is time, and time is money. Imagine 8+ hours every week that could be spent on revenue-generating or strategic value-add activities. At a macro-level, we see\u00a0the salary cost of time spent in business meetings is $37 billion US dollars each\u00a0year. That’s mind-blowing. Preparation, facilitation, and follow-up are crucial to making faster decisions in meetings, ultimately driving faster outcomes and increased revenue. The facilitator must tame the chaos and steer clear of the 7 pitfalls!<\/p>\n

———-<\/h3>\n

Sabrina Atienza is a recent\u00a0UC Berkeley graduate in Computer Science and Physics. She\u2019s grateful to work with amazing colleagues on\u00a0Qlockwise, the only meeting planner for faster decisions, faster outcomes, and increased revenue.<\/em><\/p>\n

Linkedin: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sabr1na<\/span><\/p>\n

Twitter: @Sabrina_Atienza<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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