Meetings are on the rise and so, too, is meeting fatigue.
With executives spending an average of 23 hours per week in scheduled meetings, and research showing that 70 percent of meetings keep employees from completing their tasks, the need to reform meeting culture is clear.
An increasing number of global organizations trialing meeting-free days and capping attendee numbers has given rise to speculation about how to tackle meeting fatigue effectively. Many are questioning what internal communications will look like with fewer meetings or no meetings at all.
Here at TheSoul Publishing, we implemented a no-meeting and no-email policy in 2019, and we’ve seen the benefits this approach has had on our productivity, communication and morale.
But to see these results, a no-meetings model must go further than simply canceling diary invitations. Companies should consider building a culture around no meetings, with the infrastructure and tools to ensure that communication doesn’t suffer, but thrives instead.
What’s the problem with meetings?
Meetings can hold up progress, especially for teams who operate across time zones. Employees tend to suspend taking action until the next time they can touch base with their team, which creates bottlenecks.
If employees put their individual tasks on hold to accommodate meetings, spend hours on Zoom calls and have little time for heads-down work, these are telltale signs that too many meetings are being held.
What are the benefits of reducing meetings?
A no-meetings model can provide a solution for organizations looking to bolster productivity, refocus communications and boost morale. We’ve found that, without meetings, communication is incredibly clear, focused and effective.
Misunderstandings and internal conflict are minimized by communicating through team-level project management tools. These transparent, collaborative tools mean that our employees don’t have to recall something said in a group setting and can instead refer to previous projects to find the answers.
Removing meetings restores control to the employee, enabling them to determine their schedule and maximize their productivity by working at a time and place that suits them best.
There are clear benefits for productivity, too. In a pro-meeting culture, if an employee is most productive earlier in the day and a meeting is scheduled on their calendar during that window, it can derail their workflow. Removing meetings restores control to the employee, enabling them to determine their schedule and maximize their productivity by working at a time and place that suits them best.
Furthermore, without meetings, organizations can invest more in creating an inclusive and celebratory workplace culture that fosters wellbeing. By opening up channels of communication, there is a reduced risk of employees feeling excluded or undervalued.
At TheSoul Publishing, we celebrate milestones with our entire team by circulating videos throughout our organization, so all our employees are made aware of, and share in, the success and journey of our company.
We also created a ‘Kudos Wall’ channel on Slack where teammates can publicly congratulate and show appreciation for each other. Admittedly, we weren’t sure it would take off but, after a couple of years, the engagement levels are incredible, and the positivity continues to flow.
No-meetings approach: A new model of communication
The transition to a no-meetings model can’t take place overnight because a cultural shift, which goes beyond simply canceling meetings, is required. It’s essential that leaders provide employees with the right education, tools and infrastructure to support a no-meetings approach.
At TheSoul Publishing, our goal was to maximize autonomy and flexibility for our remote-first workforce. As such, we created an asynchronous communications process, switching from emails and meetings to company-wide project management and communication tools.
There are a number of advantages of adopting an asynchronous communications model. Project management tools allow us to provide highly-defined actions to our team, which help to structure their workflow and maintain task focus.
For our remote-first workforce, these tools promote transparency and enable managers to monitor progress, while also allowing team members a high degree of personal responsibility as they’re able to organize their own work days.
By removing the demand to respond immediately, employees are afforded the time and space to refer to past projects and formulate clear, coherent responses via written communication.
The first step to implementing an asynchronous communications model is to set up clear and transparent communication processes across your company and then clearly explain the purpose and benefit of the model to employees.
The first step to implementing an asynchronous communications model is to set up clear and transparent communication processes across your company and then clearly explain the purpose and benefit of the model to employees.
The next step is to provide teams with the education and training to effectively use the tools and infrastructure that have been implemented.
Once educated and equipped to use the new model, employees can buy into a shared culture around the approach, which allows the entire organization to work harmoniously within an asynchronous system.
Flexibility is also an important part of the model, and there may be times when a meeting is unavoidable.
To ensure that unnecessary meetings don’t slip back into calendars, it’s important to have a clear protocol for assessing the value of any proposed meeting.
Here at TheSoul Publishing, our employees must initially try to resolve the issue without a meeting, using the company’s project management software. If they can’t resolve it asynchronously, the employee must create an agenda and request the meeting at least 24 hours in advance. Meetings are usually limited to two people and for up to 30 minutes. Afterwards, detailed notes are posted in the project work, so everyone can benefit, and recordings of Zoom meetings are posted in their entirety.
No-meetings model: The verdict
Many companies, especially those with a remote-first workforce, can benefit from reducing meetings.
Meeting-free days or limited meeting numbers are a first step, but they’re not enough to tackle meeting fatigue and productivity bottlenecks.
To truly see the benefits of a no-meetings policy, companies need to invest in the right infrastructure and cultivate a shared culture around the approach among their employees.
To truly see the benefits of a no-meetings policy, companies need to invest in the right infrastructure and cultivate a shared culture around the approach among their employees.
Once this is in place, leaders should lead by example in operating under a set of clearly defined asynchronous communication processes. When their teams understand, and buy into, a company-wide culture built on asynchronous communications, the no-meetings approach will likely lead to positive results in productivity, communication and morale.
Aleksandra Sulimko is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at TheSoul Publishing where she leads the Human Resources department, bringing her expertise to strengthen day-to-day operations of a global team spread across 70 countries. She also ensures her team supports each business division to drive employee well-being, empowerment, and development.
