The Meeting Overload – Causes and Effects

In the era of remote work, digital meetings have aggravated the burden of meetings. Unlike the pre-pandemic era when meetings were planned and scheduled with all members present in the office, today’s meetings can come unplanned. Some important considerations are worth mentioning to dig into the effects and outcomes of this phenomenon.

Some Important Considerations

• Over the course of time, meetings have evolved from face-to-face interactions to virtual gatherings fueled by the advent of technology and remote work. A shift we have experienced in real time during and post COVID. This transformation has led to an increase in the number of meetings individuals participate in every single day and the various mediums through which these meetings occur. The meetings, intended to facilitate collaboration and decision making, often become a source of frustration and drain personal resources. 

• Studies have shown that a significant portion of professional working hours are spent in meetings, leaving limited time for actual productive work. In fact, research indicates that 70% of meetings hinder employees from completing their tasks efficiently, which highlights the need to assess the value and necessity of each meeting to ensure that time is spent wisely and productively. Rise of virtual meetings have intensified the meeting load paradox.

• Virtual meetings offer convenience and flexibility, but they also present unique challenges. The lack of non-verbal cues, technical difficulties and the inability to really gauge the participants’ engagement can diminish the effectiveness and efficiency of virtual meetings. As a result, the meeting load paradox is more pronounced in virtual settings. 

• Employee conscientiousness is crucial to solving this entire paradox. Employee conscientiousness is a personality trait characterized by self-discipline and thoroughness and can influence the impact of meeting load on individual. New research suggests that highly conscientious employees are more likely to handle meeting demands effectively and mitigate the negative consequences of excessive meetings. Organizations should consider individual differences in conscientiousness when managing meeting mode and allocating responsibilities.

   

The Paradox Study

To understand this meeting load paradox, researchers conducted a field study involving 199 full time employees. The study aimed to examine the relationship between meeting load, employee engagement and creative performance. The results revealed an interesting pattern. Meeting participation, engagement and creative performance increased as meeting load initially increased but reached a tipping point beyond which further meeting load hindered performance. So, this inverted U shaped relationship suggests that there is an optimal level of meeting load that exists for individuals to contribute effectively while preserving their wellbeing. 

The study also explored the impact of the meeting medium on the meeting load paradox. Findings indicated that virtual meetings amplified the curvilinear effect of meeting load. This suggests that the challenges associated with virtual meetings, such as increased cognitive load and reduced social connection, contribute to the negative consequences of excessive meetings and this means that organizations should be mindful of the unique dynamics of virtual meetings and implement strategies to mitigate their potential negative effects

Also Read:

Understanding and Addressing Meeting Load Paradox

Strategies to Manage Meeting Overload Effectively