Did you know meeting times went from less than 10 hours in the 1960s to about 23 hours by 2017, Harvard Business Review? Therefore, it is not surprising that 56% of employees say that too many meetings affect job performance. This is according to the State of Meetings report from Doodle.
Too many meetings affect job performance
The data from Doodle’s report comes from more than 30 million meetings booked on its platform between January 1 and December 31, 2020. A number of quick meetings are being held and virtual meetings are here to stay. The pandemic played a large role in these two data points, driven by travel restrictions and lockdowns.
The result is a more than 1,230% increase in 1:1 virtual meetings from January 2020 to December 2020. For group meetings, the rise in the same period was 613%. However, virtual meetings account for only 42% of all meetings. Therefore, even during these challenging times and growth, most meetings are held face to face.
Other fast food:
- Five attendees was the most popular size of group meeting in 2020
- The average number of participants in the United States and the United Kingdom was six and eight people in group meetings while in other European countries there were an average of ten
- The most popular meeting length for groups in 2020 was 60 minutes and 30 minutes for 1:1 meetings
- Overall, the number of 1:1 meetings saw an increase of more than 62% in 2020
- Nearly half, 46.2% of meetings last year were between colleagues
Virtual meetings and small businesses
The growth of virtual meetings was already happening before the pandemic, reaching 600% between 2018 and 2019. The availability of video conferencing technology, scheduling platforms like Doodle, and better infrastructure all combined to give small businesses access to virtual meetings.
This allows small businesses to save on business trips and the cost associated with them. And as more consumers and businesses use technology for daily communication, virtual meetings will be the norm.
Make your next meeting more productive
A study by Stephen Rogelberg, of the University of North Carolina, surveyed 182 senior managers in a range of industries. More than 2/3 or 71% said that meetings are unproductive and ineffective, while 65% said that meetings prevent them from completing their work.
meetings are necessary; However, you must set clear goals along with accountability for achieving these goals. This includes setting limits with start and end times, addressing specific goals before the meeting, inviting only essential people, and having strict rules about eating and smartphones. After the meeting, send an evaluation sheet and a follow-up note to each participant.
Photo: Depositphotos
