The average professional spends approximately 55 million hours each day in meetings across the United States, yet a significant portion of that time is unproductive, according to research by Steven Rogelberg, a professor at UNC Charlotte.
Rogelberg, whose perform has been featured in publications including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, has dedicated years to studying the science of meetings. His research indicates that 30 to 50 percent of meeting hours are wasted, with 73 percent of attendees admitting to engaging in other work during meetings and 90 percent reporting daydreaming. He outlined his findings in his 2019 book, “The Surprising Science of Meetings.”
A key principle underlying many ineffective meetings, Rogelberg explains, is Parkinson’s Law – the observation that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. This means that if an hour is allocated for a meeting, the discussion will naturally expand to consume that entire hour, regardless of whether a focused, efficient discussion could be achieved in less time.
Rogelberg’s research suggests that effective meetings aren’t about maximizing every minute, but about intentionality. He advocates for strategies such as welcoming attendees as one would greet guests at a party, and discouraging the use of the mute button during conference calls to encourage engagement. He similarly highlights the value of conflict within meetings, arguing that a lack of disagreement can indicate a lack of critical thinking.
The professor’s work extends beyond academic publications. He founded and directs outreach initiatives focused on nonprofit organization health, having served over 500 nonprofits. He has also consulted with major corporations including IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Siemens, applying his research to improve meeting practices within these organizations.
Rogelberg was awarded the Humboldt Award for his research on meeting science, a highly prestigious recognition of his contributions to the field. His work challenges the conventional wisdom that poor meetings are simply an unavoidable cost of doing business, offering evidence-based solutions for improving meeting effectiveness.
In a 2019 podcast interview, Rogelberg noted that while many leaders recognize the problem of unproductive meetings, few are formally trained or evaluated on their meeting management skills. He suggests that organizations could benefit from implementing policies such as meeting-free days or even appointing a “Chief Meeting Officer” to oversee and optimize meeting practices.
