Professionals should think twice before scheduling that next meeting, a survey suggests. Managers interviewed said 28 percent of these gatherings are a waste of time. Moreover, almost half of respondents (45 percent) felt employees would be more productive if their company banned meetings one day a week.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.
Executives were asked, "What percentage of meetings do you feel are unnecessary?" The average response was 28 percent.
Executives also were asked, "How much more or less productive do you believe your employees would be if your company banned meetings one day a week?" Their responses:
Much more productive |
13 percent |
Somewhat more productive |
32 percent |
No change |
46 percent |
Somewhat less productive |
4 percent |
Much less productive |
3 percent |
Don’t know/no answer |
2 percent |