$100 million. According to one recent study, this is the colossal sum that a company with more than 5,000 employees could save by eliminating unnecessary attendance at meetings. Professor of organizational science and management at the University of North Carolina, Steven Rogelberg interviewed 632 employees in 20 different economic sectors. On average, respondents spend nearly eighteen hours a week in meetings. They declare that they decline only 14% of those to which they are invited, whereas almost a third seem superfluous to them. Added to these losses is the psychological cost of meetingitis, which causes frustration and fatigue, not to mention the opportunity cost, i.e. the activities that employees do not do while they are seated in a conference room.
Faced with this scourge of modern office life, the Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify has just announced the elimination of the majority of its meetings. But for Steven Rogelberg, this radical response imposed vertically by management is not the right one. The psychologist points out that the meetings represent a democratic framework which makes it possible to involve the employees, to convey messages and to confront a plurality of points of view or skills. The author of the hail The surprising science of meetings (Oxford University Press) advocates more subtle techniques based on research. Anthology.
Reduce durations by 5-10%
According to Parkinson’s law, the more time a person has to complete a task, the more time it will require. “If you schedule a one-hour meeting just because it’s a calendar-bound convention, it will last the entire time assigned to it, even if it’s not necessary,” explains Steven Rogelberg. The specialist recommends reducing their durations by 5 to 10%.
Punctuality is also essential. Studies show that meetings start late half the time. “Participants who are on time feel that latecomers don’t respect them and waste their time. There are of course cultural differences depending on the country. On the other hand, one thing is universal: finishing in delay irritates everyone.”
Show your good mood
According to the psychologist, “research proves that the initial mood of whoever leads the meeting is the best indicator of what the collective mood will be. If you arrive with a bad state of mind, it will affect everyone “. However, a positive mood is essential, because it promotes listening, critical thinking and creativity in participants. It is therefore recommended that managers arrive with a smile, and express their appreciation that everyone is present.
Think about “feedback”
We are the worst judges of ourselves. Many studies show that those who organize a meeting – or those who express themselves the most – have a much more positive appreciation of this meeting than the rest of the participants. Feedback is therefore essential for any manager who wishes to make these moments more effective. Steven Rogelberg recommends at least an annual evaluation dealing directly with the quality of the meetings. In its New York headquarters, the Weight Watchers company has even installed tablets at the exit of the rooms, allowing participants, anonymously, to put notes.
Limit the number of participants
For the sake of inclusiveness or not to offend anyone, managers tend to invite more participants than necessary. However, the quality of a meeting decreases when the number of staff increases. It also increases the phenomenon of “social laziness”, this very human tendency to reduce one’s efforts when working in a group. It is therefore important to distinguish precisely those who really must be present from those who can be kept informed by a simple summary email. Another technique: vary the number of participants during the same meeting. For practical reasons, it is better to first invite everyone for the first subject and then let some collaborators leave.
Research shows that above seven or eight participants, it is more difficult to involve everyone. As a general rule, when it comes to important decision-making, it is therefore advisable to be satisfied with seven participants or less. For brainstorming, less than fifteen people is ideal. On the other hand, a gathering simply intended to communicate information may be much more crowded.
Questions rather than themes
Steven Rogelberg recommends presenting the agenda in the form of questions to be answered, rather than simple themes. “This way you involve the participants, with a real objective. It also makes it easier for you to know who to invite, by seeing which collaborators are relevant or not to answer these questions. And in the end, depending on the answer given, you know whether the meeting is successful or not.” If no questions come to mind, the meeting is probably not essential.
Avoid “multitasking”
Are your employees busy with a computer or their smartphone? It’s because they’re in the middle of “multitasking”, a highly contagious distraction. “If a participant sees that another person is multitasking, they too will start doing it. However, if we humans know how to move quickly from one task to another, we cannot do several things at the same time. times”, slice Steven Rogelberg. Whoever leads a meeting can ban digital devices, but that puts an even greater burden on them to ensure that it is effective. “You have to keep in mind that if employees do several things at once, it’s because they feel like they’re wasting their time.”
Put the camera in video
Thank you Covid-19: after a difficult start, people are now much more comfortable with remote meetings. The format even has its advantages. “The configuration turns out to be much more democratic, there is no leader installed at the end of the table, notes Steven Rogelberg. And we can use specific tools, such as the chat which allows more people to express themselves.” The camera is strongly recommended, because it keeps participants involved, and avoids “multitasking”. On the other hand, on Zoom, an option allows you to cut your own image: very useful, when you know that contemplating yourself for a long time is a source of distraction and fatigue.
Break the habits
“There are millions of meetings organized every day around the world. But very often, they all look the same,” laments Steven Rogelberg. The researcher recommends that managers try new things in order to break habits: push people to change places, test meetings while walking (but with few people) or standing (less than fifteen minutes), start at unusual times (9h27)… Another original method: silence. You can share a Google Doc in which everyone can write their comments, without speaking. At Amazon, Jeff Bezos introduced quiet periods so that each participant could read a shared document, before speaking.