Meetings alone are usually unproductive
As Forbes states, meetings are meant to be a tool to help workers be more efficient and productive, not an end in themselves. If a team is faced with so many meetings that they have little time for actual work, such meetings become counterproductive.
A calendar full of meetings unnecessarily clutters workers' minds
Every meeting requires a certain amount of mental capacity and energy from its participants. If the meetings pile up, employees have less time for strategic planning and deep work. As a result, tasks that require focus get put off until "after all those meetings", which often means late in the evening. Or two days later. Or never. Remember that creativity and innovation thrive in quiet moments, not between the third and fourth meeting of the day.
Multitasking during meetings doesn't work
If employees have to attend too many meetings, they tend to check e-mails, respond to messages, or even complete other tasks during the meeting. Frequent meetings encourage multitasking, but this reduces the quality of both work and results. Instead of focusing fully on the meeting or the task they are working on, employees do neither properly. As a result, meetings are ineffective and tasks are unfinished.
Fewer meetings means more space for independent work and creative thinking
The less time employees spend in meetings, the more time they have to work independently and take ownership of their projects. Try granting your team more trust and space to organise their own time. You will see an increase in not only efficiency but also their satisfaction. There is no need to be there at all times: if you lead your team well, they will know what to do without constant meetings.
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