Welcome to chakshu scribbles| Food for thought, Beyond the NOISE.

Lets start with some statistics for background.

Statistic 1: 30% of meetings in fortune 500 companies are considered unproductive due to lack of clear agendas and objectives. Unproductive meetings cost businesses globally an estimated $37 billion annually.

Statistic 2: 72% of employees attending these meetings feel are unnecessary, draining time and resources. This is equivalent to 24 billion hours in unproductive meetings each year globally.

Before setting the goals for 2025, I quickly reviewed where I spent most of my time last year. I started by looking at the calendar. I assessed the types of meetings I attended and categorized them in different boxes.

On analyzing i quickly see that most of the time i was more than 100% booked in meetings. For a long period of time,I firmly believed:

“Being busy = Productive” Right?

Wrong! Mr. Pareto’s 80/20 principle prevails again.(80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes)

When applied to meetings, this indicates that a limited number of meticulously organized and intentional meetings can significantly influence the overall success of your organization.

This preview, led me down the rabbit hole. I sought to find out the perfect mix of meeting versus non-meeting time. I read research articles, books, and listened to podcasts. I also explored different types of meetings and their impact on organizational success. Here is a short summary.

Types of meetings.

On a high level across all industries and in different business units such as Sales, marketing, IT, legal etc. there are ca. 16 types of meetings in total. These can be further grouped in 3 broad categories:

• Cadence meetings: These are regular and recurring meetings which follows a set schedule.
  • Some e.g. Sync meetings, weekly or monthly meetings and status meetings.
    
• Catalyst meetings: These are the meetings which matter the most. Often scheduled adhoc when needed and are designed to address specific issues, generate ideas, or make decisions.
  • Some e.g. Brainstorming, mind mapping meetings, decision meetings or problem solving meetings.
    
• Context meetings: Context meetings are designed to provide background information, set the stage for other meetings. They help align participants with the broader context of the organization and all others can be added to this cat.
  • Some e.g PnL, forecasting, hiring etc. meetings.

Which is Better for Organizational Success? Well each category of meeting plays a crucial role in organizational success, and the best approach is to use a combination of all three.

Cadence Meetings provide the regular touch points needed for consistency and accountability.

Catalyst Meetings offer the flexibility and focus required for innovation and problem-solving.

Context Meetings ensure that everyone is aligned with the broader goals and understands the purpose of their work.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Organizations with an imbalance between CADENCE vs CATALYST vs CONTEXT meetings suffer first. They are the first ones not to meet their business goals.

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If unproductive meetings have a big financial impact, why don’t business leaders take action? Here are top reasons:

1. Lack of Awareness: Many leaders are not fully aware of the extent of the problem. They might not realize the amount of time and money being wasted on unproductive meetings. They may also lack the will to find out.
   
2. Cultural Norms: In some organizations, frequent meetings are ingrained in the company culture. Changing this norm can be challenging and may require a shift in mindset and behavior.
   
3. Perceived Necessity: Leaders often believe that meetings are essential for communication and decision-making. which is untrue most of the times.
   
4. Resistance to Change: Implementing changes to meeting practices can face resistance. Employees and other leaders are accustomed to the current way of doing things.
   
5. Lack of Tools and Training: Organizations also lack the tools and training needed to conduct effective meetings. Without proper agendas, follow-up processes, and meeting management software, it can be difficult to improve meeting productivity.

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Ingredients of a successful meeting.

There are number of things you can google on successful meetings. Here are 3 things that work for me:

• Avoid meeting bloat. By limiting the number of participants that can contribute to the meeting at hand.
  
• Focus on clear objective and outcome.Every meeting should have a clear objective. Whether it’s brainstorming, decision-making, or team alignment, knowing the purpose ensures productive outcomes.
  
• Inclusivity Matters: By facilitating inclusive meetings you can foster diverse perspectives, which leads to innovative solutions.
  
  • Encourage all voices to be heard, not just the loudest. Avoid prioritizing the opinions of the highest-paid individuals.(HIPPO effect)

To wrap it up, the meetings you attend are a reflection of your organization’s culture and priorities. By optimizing these interactions, you pave the way for enhanced collaboration, innovation, and success.

Meetings if done right can really help move the needle in right direction. They are one of the best ways to channel information, intent and attention to employees.

So what are different types of meeting are you attending the most ? Cadence, Catalyst or Context.

//CA.
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