In the vast landscape of contemporary YouTube content, many videos portraying office life are emerging daily. Whether titled “Things All Corporate Workers Do,” “10 Things All Office Workers Do But Never Admit,” or “Office Meetings Be Like.” these videos share a common thread. Almost all of them tend to feature a scene where employees reluctantly enter a meeting room, only to spend the entire session pondering when the meeting will end, and they will be put out of their misery.

As we dive deeper into the realities of the everlasting office culture portrayed in these videos, it becomes increasingly evident that efficient and mindful meetings are becoming a rare commodity in today’s fast-paced contemporary world. The quality of the work often takes a serious hit just due to the lack of participation from one or two members, putting the others in trouble. A lot of this could be avoided through more thorough communication among the members. This is where the importance of mindful and efficient meetings reintroduces itself. The inability to conduct effective meetings poses a substantial barrier to establishing a conducive and productive workspace.

Nonetheless, rather than mindlessly pondering this problem, we must acknowledge the issues and find solutions accordingly. In today’s fast-paced work environment, several elements hinder establishing the efficacy of meetings. Firstly, the lack of planning ahead of the meeting makes the large volume of information and tasks quite overwhelming, resulting in the disinterest of the members. As a result, the meetings turn monotonous very quickly. Moreover, the overuse of digital communication tools affects the productivity of the meeting in a negative light. While it increases connectivity, virtual communication is more likely to create a deeper communication gap than we realise. Moreover, the lack of comfort in meeting rooms is yet another reason that can make the prolonged meeting sessions ineffective and unbearable. Furthermore, the age gap and hierarchy among employees in the workspace create a sense of distance, leading to serious miscommunication, which ultimately resurfaces during meetings where all of them are together.

However, after dealing with our fair share of bad meetings and snoozing off through them, we have finally come up with some effective solutions that will hopefully counteract some of the many problems that cause meetings to be so inefficient and monotonous. So here are seven effective ways to combat the meeting malaise:

1. Creating and Adhering to Meeting Structures: Creating a structure of the meeting beforehand by setting agendas, assigning roles, and allocating time for each agenda on the list prevents the meetings from being unnecessarily long, retaining the productivity and efficiency of the meetings. This also provides the participants with a roadmap of what to expect from the meeting and paints a picture of the goals that they have to achieve.
2. Having one in-person meeting instead of five virtual ones: The hassles of virtual meetings have been familiar since COVID-19. The lack of face-to-face meetings creates miscommunication among employees, resulting in more meetings. That is why we suggest having fewer in-person meetings rather than holding repetitive virtual meetings.
3. Guarding against Hierarchical abuse: Fostering an inclusive and healthy work environment where everyone feels empowered to express their thoughts without fearing hierarchy-based repercussions is significant for open and constructive dialogue.
4. Ensuring Physical Comfort: Physical comfort fuels an efficient meeting environment. Lighting, temperature, and adequate seating are more likely to increase the productivity of the participants, making them more focused and more likely to be able to achieve their goals.
5. Equal Significance to All Ideas: Encouraging all meeting participants to voice their opinions regardless of the source is important for establishing diversity and freshness, ultimately leading to a sense of collective ownership.
6. Establishment of Healthy Work-Life Balance: A healthy work-life balance is crucial for maintaining the employees’ well-being. Making the meetings concise preserves this balance.
7. Concluding Meetings on Time: Respecting the participant’s time is paramount. By concluding the meeting on time, one can send a positive message about the institution’s commitment to productivity and efficiency, resulting in the goodwill of the employee and the employer.

In a setting where the efficiency of one’s work depends largely on the productivity of corporate meetings, implementing the measures above might pave the way for a more mindful and productive work environment. As we strive to transform the current condition of meetings, acknowledging these challenges is the first and foremost step in a very long process of establishing a setting where meetings are more efficient, engaging, and purposeful, and ultimately fuel the success of our collective pursuits.

Author: Maliha Binte Mohsin Moumita