Excessive Meetings = Ineffective Organization
In The Effective Executive, Drucker notes that an excess of meetings is a clear symptom of “malorganization.” In observing this symptom across many big businesses, I can’t seem to find many healthy organizations.
Some executives believe back-to-back meetings define the modern business world. But as Drucker explains, “Meetings are by definition a concession to deficient organization. For one either meets or one works. One cannot do both at the same time.”
Some executives are forced to work on weekends to get their “real work” accomplished.
“As a rule, meetings should never be allowed to become the main demand on an executive’s time. Too many meetings always bespeak poor structure of jobs and the wrong organizational components,” says Drucker.
Meetings are obviously necessary because different people are responsible for different roles and job functions. They must cooperate and share information to get specific things done.
But if you’re spending most of your work week in meetings, how are you supposed to contribute to the organization and produce results?
Make meetings the exception, not the rule. Value the results your organization achieves, not the time spent discussing them.
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