ABSTRACT

Business professionals spend about half of their time in meetings, according to the 3M Meeting Network, an online resource covering meeting issues. Meetings are the most universal – and universally despised – part of business life. A business meeting is a gathering in which a purposeful exchange or transaction occurs among two or more people with a common interest, purpose or problem. An investor relations manager may meet with analysts or fund managers to brief them on new earnings growth projections, an update to the company’s strategic plans, or a proposed product line. Gathering employees together prior to a new product launch or brand line extension might help to explain product features and the market position management is hoping to sell to customers. Bad meetings waste time and money, but they may also harm employee health. Professors in the US and Britain surveyed 676 employees, who said they spend an average of 5.6 hours a week in meetings.