Freakonomics Radio 389. How to Make Meetings Less Terrible
Sep 19, 2019
Priya Parker, a group conflict resolution facilitator, teams up with Steven Rogelberg, an organizational psychologist, to explore the unproductive nature of meetings. They emphasize the need for constructive conflict and intentional agendas to enhance decision-making. With practical tips and innovative strategies, they tackle the common frustrations of ineffective meetings. The discussion includes ways to foster open communication and transform team dynamics, ensuring that meetings evolve from tedious to truly productive.
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Meeting Prevalence and Inefficiency
- Americans hold roughly 55 million meetings daily, with most professionals attending 15 weekly.
- Senior managers, despite spending 50-90% of their time in meetings, often deem them unproductive.
Unnecessary Meetings
- Michael Conklin's boss frantically told him he missed three meetings.
- However, the boss admitted nothing changed, highlighting unnecessary meetings.
Parkinson's Law in Meetings
- Set shorter meeting times, as work expands to fill allotted time (Parkinson's Law).
- Aim for specific, shorter durations like 48 minutes instead of defaulting to one hour.
