Meeting Fatigue
The other day at work, I joked we needed to form a committee to appoint a sub-committee to develop an agenda for yet a third committee that would, in time, determine the definition of 2 p.m. We
all waste time in non-productive meetings when we could be taking care of patients.
How many meetings are a droning list of procedure reminders, administration demands or the ranting of one person who hijacks the agenda? How often is a meeting consumed by complaining instead of discussing plans that really fix problems? Too many, too often.
A 2005 study proves the obvious: too many meetings are stressful and lead to burn-out. And burned-out workers who are overburdened and overwhelmed are more likely to be tardy, absent, perform poorly or quit. Enough is enough, sometimes.
Meetings can be exhausting. Here are a few reasons for meeting fatigue:
|
Reason |
Effect |
|
not the right people |
"Why am I here?" |
|
not on time |
"People are always late." or "This meeting takes too long." |
|
no clear purpose |
"Why are we meeting?" |
|
no agenda |
"What are we meeting about?" |
|
no structure |
"Who will control the complaining?" |
The problem may be organizational, as this consultant points out. Starting on time and focusing on an agenda are important. But it's also important to review the meeting, part of the "Seven-Step Meeting Process." A meeting needs to do something.
If a meeting leaves people feeling confused, drained or frustrated, then something went terribly wrong that should be fixed before the next meeting. Perhaps, more structure or a timekeeper is needed. At least, it should be clear to people exactly what the meeting is about.
Maybe--just maybe--we don't need to meet so often. Until that happens, I just hope I can attend enough meetings to decide what time it really is.