The Surprising Science of Meetings

Introduction

In today's fast-paced business world, meetings have become an integral part of our daily work lives. However, many of us find ourselves spending more time in meetings than actually working, often leaving us feeling frustrated and unproductive. Steven G. Rogelberg's book "The Surprising Science of Meetings" offers a fresh perspective on how we can transform these often-dreaded gatherings into valuable tools for problem-solving and decision-making.

Drawing from scientific research and analysis, Rogelberg provides practical tips and techniques that can be implemented immediately to revolutionize the way we conduct meetings. This summary will explore the key ideas presented in the book, offering insights into how we can make our meetings more efficient, engaging, and productive.

The Current State of Meetings

The Growing Prevalence of Meetings

Rogelberg begins by highlighting the staggering increase in the number of meetings taking place in modern workplaces. In the United States alone, an estimated 55 million workplace meetings occur daily. This is a significant jump from the 11 million meetings held in 1976, as reported by the Harvard Business Review.

The frequency of meetings varies depending on an employee's position within the organization:

• Non-managerial staff attend an average of 8 meetings per week
• Managerial staff attend an average of 12 meetings per week
• Senior leaders, such as CEOs, spend up to 60% of their working day in meetings

The High Cost of Meetings

With the increasing number of meetings comes a substantial financial burden for companies. To illustrate this point, Rogelberg suggests a simple calculation: multiply an attendee's hourly wage by the number of hours spent in meetings, then add up the total for all attendees. The results can be eye-opening:

• Xerox estimates that meetings between their 24,000-person development team cost the company over $100 million annually
• Across all workplaces in the United States, it's estimated that $1.4 trillion is spent on meetings each year, accounting for approximately 8% of the country's annual GDP

The Perception of Meetings

Despite the time and money invested in meetings, many employees find them unproductive and frustrating:

• A Microsoft survey of 40,000 workers worldwide found that 69% considered their meetings unproductive
• In a survey by Clarizen, 50% of American workers stated they would rather engage in any other unpleasant work activity than attend their weekly team update meeting

These statistics highlight the need for a significant change in how meetings are conducted and perceived in the workplace.

Effective Meeting Leadership

The Importance of Self-Awareness

Rogelberg points out that many meeting leaders tend to overestimate their abilities. Research shows that those leading a meeting typically rate it more positively than the attendees. This discrepancy may be due to the fact that meeting leaders often do most of the talking, which correlates with a more positive impression of the meeting.

To gain a more accurate understanding of their leadership skills, Rogelberg suggests seeking feedback from meeting attendees. He cites the example of Weight Watchers, which uses touch screens near meeting rooms to collect anonymous employee feedback using an emoji scale. This approach allows the company to identify areas for improvement and measure the impact of any changes made.

Adopting a Servant Leadership Mindset

To improve meeting effectiveness, Rogelberg encourages leaders to adopt a servant leadership approach. This mindset focuses on meeting the needs of the team and unlocking each member's potential. Key aspects of servant leadership in meetings include:

1. Exercising excellent time management
2. Keeping discussions focused on the agenda
3. Listening attentively to discern any underlying concerns
4. Facilitating an atmosphere where attendees feel comfortable expressing their opinions
5. Encouraging constructive debate and preventing any one person from dominating the conversation

By embracing these principles, meeting leaders can create a more productive and engaging environment for all participants.

Improving Meeting Efficiency

Challenging the One-Hour Meeting Norm

Rogelberg questions the universal tendency to schedule meetings for one hour, regardless of their purpose or the number of attendees. He introduces the concept of Parkinson's Law, which states that tasks expand or contract to fill the time allotted to them. This phenomenon has been observed in various studies, including one involving college students solving mathematical problems.

To combat this inefficiency, Rogelberg suggests:

1. Shortening meeting times by a few minutes to see if discussions naturally adapt to the new timeframe
2. Reflecting on meeting goals, attendee numbers, and past experiences to determine appropriate durations
3. Considering unconventional meeting times, such as TINYpulse's 8:48 AM start time, to intrigue attendees and improve punctuality

Embracing Short "Huddle" Meetings

Rogelberg advocates for the use of very short meetings, known as "huddles," which typically last around 15 minutes. Research has shown that these brief gatherings can significantly boost team and individual performance. Notable organizations that have successfully implemented huddles include:

• The Obama administration
• Tech companies like Apple and Dell
• Yahoo, under CEO Marissa Mayer, who insists on meetings lasting no longer than 10 minutes

By adopting shorter meeting formats, organizations can maintain productivity while still addressing important issues and fostering team communication.

Crafting Effective Meeting Agendas

The Limitations of Traditional Agendas

While many view meeting agendas as a cure-all for ineffective meetings, Rogelberg cautions against relying solely on their presence. He cites studies that have failed to find a correlation between the existence of an agenda and the perceived quality of a meeting. The problem often lies in the thoughtless creation and recycling of agendas, as evidenced by a 2003 Economist study which found that 50% of organizations either used the same agenda repeatedly or created last-minute, ad hoc agendas.

Creating Meaningful Agendas

To make agendas truly valuable, Rogelberg offers the following recommendations:

1. Include items that originate from attendees themselves, as this increases commitment to both the team and the company
2. Email attendees a few days before the meeting to solicit topic suggestions
3. Carefully plan the order of discussion topics, placing the most important items at the top of the agenda
4. Consider the findings of a Middle Tennessee State University study, which showed that items discussed early in a meeting receive the most time and deliberation

By implementing these strategies, meeting leaders can create agendas that genuinely contribute to the effectiveness and productivity of their gatherings.

Optimizing Meeting Size

The Dangers of Overcrowding

Rogelberg warns against the tendency to invite too many people to meetings, as larger groups can lead to decreased engagement and productivity. He introduces the concept of "social loafing," where individuals reduce their efforts when working in a group. This phenomenon was demonstrated in a study measuring the effort exerted by people playing tug of war, which found that individuals in larger groups expended significantly less effort than those in smaller groups.

Finding the Ideal Number of Attendees

To determine the optimal meeting size, Rogelberg draws on research and expert opinions:

1. A study examining data from Bain & Company found that for every person added beyond seven members, a group's decision-making ability decreased by 10%
2. Management consultant John Kello concludes that seven attendees is the ideal number for decision-making meetings
3. Steve Jobs, known for his dislike of large meetings, often refused to attend gatherings he deemed too big to be productive

By limiting meeting size to around seven people, leaders can ensure higher levels of engagement and more effective decision-making processes.

Encouraging Unique Insights

The Problem with Traditional Meeting Formats

Rogelberg highlights how traditional meeting structures often fail to elicit unique insights from attendees. He cites a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which found that participants were less likely to share information unique to them than common knowledge shared by all attendees. This tendency can lead to suboptimal decision-making and missed opportunities for innovation.

Implementing Brainwriting Techniques

To address this issue, Rogelberg recommends using a technique called "brainwriting." This approach involves:

1. Having attendees anonymously write down their ideas instead of verbally presenting them
2. Allowing participants to share unique perspectives or knowledge that might otherwise go unmentioned
3. Having the meeting leader collect and privately review the written ideas

Research comparing brainwriting to traditional meeting formats has shown that this technique can lead to a higher number of better quality ideas. One study found that brainwriting meetings generated 42% more original ideas than traditional meetings.

Creating a Positive Meeting Atmosphere

The Impact of Mood on Meeting Effectiveness

Rogelberg emphasizes the importance of fostering a positive atmosphere during meetings. He cites research from St. Louis University, which found that groups in a good mood were better at performing creative tasks, had better engagement between members, and were more likely to share and apply knowledge from all participants. Another study examining footage of real meetings found that those containing more jokes and laughter had a more emotionally supportive atmosphere, held more constructive discussions, and produced more innovative solutions to problems.

Strategies for Promoting Positivity

To create a positive meeting environment, Rogelberg suggests the following techniques:

1. Playing music in the meeting room as attendees arrive to help separate feelings of frustration about being interrupted from the upcoming meeting
2. Providing tasty snacks during the meeting to support positivity
3. Offering toys or puzzles for attendees to play with during the meeting, as hand movements can promote lower stress levels, boost focus, and redirect pent-up energy

By implementing these strategies, meeting leaders can create a more conducive atmosphere for productive discussions and creative problem-solving.

The Importance of In-Person Attendance

The Drawbacks of Remote Participation

While phone-in meetings may seem convenient, Rogelberg cautions against relying too heavily on this format. He explains that attending meetings via telephone can encourage participants to reduce their efforts and contribute less. This is because phone attendees may feel anonymous, as they are out of sight and their voices may not be easily distinguishable from other remote participants.

Promoting Engagement for Remote Attendees

To address this issue, Rogelberg recommends:

1. Encouraging those who cannot attend in person to join via video call (e.g., Skype) instead of phone
2. Ensuring that remote attendees are visible to the rest of the group, as this can significantly boost their motivation and engagement

By prioritizing face-to-face interaction, even through digital means, meeting leaders can maintain higher levels of participation and productivity among all attendees.

Conclusion

"The Surprising Science of Meetings" by Steven G. Rogelberg offers a wealth of evidence-based strategies for transforming the way we approach and conduct meetings in the workplace. By implementing these techniques, organizations can significantly improve the efficiency, productivity, and overall satisfaction of their meetings.

Key takeaways from the book include:

1. Challenging the status quo of meeting duration and frequency
2. Adopting a servant leadership approach to meeting facilitation
3. Crafting meaningful agendas that prioritize attendee input and important topics
4. Optimizing meeting size to encourage engagement and effective decision-making
5. Implementing brainwriting techniques to solicit unique insights from all participants
6. Creating a positive meeting atmosphere to boost creativity and collaboration
7. Prioritizing in-person or video attendance to maximize engagement

By applying these principles, leaders can transform meetings from dreaded time-wasters into valuable tools for problem-solving, decision-making, and team building. As organizations continue to evolve in an increasingly complex business landscape, the ability to conduct effective meetings will become an ever more crucial skill for success.

Ultimately, Rogelberg's work reminds us that meetings, when done right, have the potential to be powerful catalysts for innovation, collaboration, and organizational growth. By approaching meetings with intentionality and a commitment to continuous improvement, we can unlock their true potential and create more productive, engaged, and satisfied teams.