Bad meetings bite business

Picture source: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER – VOLUME 42, NUMBER 9

Research from a British executive coaching business shows that bad meetings kill enthusiasm at work.

According to That People Thing, founded by executive coach and former BBC program producer Blaire Palmer, 73 percent of senior executives estimate less than half their time in meetings is valuable for their job, 35 percent admit to daydreaming in meetings, 10 percent plan their evening meal, and 1 percent of meeting participants spend that time on dating sites.

The research found that length was the main problem, as 56 percent said meetings were too long, while 43 percent said colleagues haven’t prepared and that meetings veer off topic.

However, more than half (59 percent) of respondents said meetings that result in a clear decision are valuable.

“Well-run meetings can create a positive ripple throughout the culture of a business,” Palmer said. “And companies which address the issue of what is going wrong can see real benefits.”

The research was conducted among 668 senior business people by the independent research organization Consumer Intelligence.