A practical approach for SMEs
Meetings are part of everyday life in almost every company. They are intended to enable coordination, prepare decisions and promote cooperation.
In practice, however, many employees experience something different:
full calendars, endless coordination and hardly any time left for concentrated work.
This phenomenon has now been given a name: Meeting Overload .
Studies show that the time spent in meetings has increased massively in recent years. A study by Microsoft, for example, shows that meeting time has increased by more than 100 percent since the pandemic has increased by 150% . At the same time, employees report less and less focus time for their actual work.
Especially for small and medium-sized companies, this topic is increasingly becoming a productivity problem.
However, the decisive lever is rarely to abolish meetings completely.
The leverage lies in something else:
Time hygiene.
The real problem: Meetings are rarely questioned
In many organizations, a meeting arises as soon as coordination seems necessary.
One central question is hardly asked:
Is this meeting even necessary?
The most important guiding question is therefore:
What should be different after the appointment than before?
Meetings are useful if:
- different perspectives must be brought together
- Decisions are prepared or made
- complex coordination is required
If information is simply to be passed on, it is often asynchronous formats much more efficiently.
A conscious approach to meetings is therefore the first step to more productivity.
The underestimated productivity killer: lack of structure
Even when meetings make sense, there is often a lack of a clear structure.
Typical symptoms are:
- Appointments without a clear goal
- too many participants
- Lack of preparation
- no concrete results
The episode:
Time is invested – without any real effect.
A simple measure can make a big difference here:
Every meeting needs a clearly formulated goal.
Not just one topic.
An example:
Bad:
"Project Update"
Better:
"Decision on the next project milestone"
The goal serves as the common thread for the entire meeting.
Time hygiene starts in the calendar
Another common productivity killer is calendars without buffers.
Many meetings automatically last 60 minutes – regardless of whether this time is really needed.
A much more efficient approach is a standardized time rhythm:
- 25 minutes for short votes
- 50 minutes for more complex meetings
This rhythm automatically creates:
- mental breaks
- Time to prepare
- Space for concentrated work
Managers in particular benefit enormously from this structure.
Fewer participants – better decisions
Another typical problem of many meetings is the group of participants.
Often the logic applies:
"It's better to invite one more person than one too few."
But large rounds often lead to:
- lengthy discussions
- unclear responsibilities
- lower quality of decision-making
Effective meetings follow a simple principle:
Participants are only people with an active role or relevant perspective.
All others can be informed if necessary – without sitting in the appointment.
Meetings need results
Many meetings end without clear agreements.
Yet this is precisely the most important success factor.
Each meeting should end with three questions:
- What decisions were made?
- What tasks arise from this?
- Who will take over what until when?
The documentation should be short and clear and available within 24 hours.
This is the only way meetings will actually be effective.
Why leadership is crucial here
Time hygiene is not a tool – it is a tool Leadership attitude .
If managers accept every appointment, are constantly available and moderate meetings without structure, meeting overload automatically arises.
Managers must therefore consciously exemplify:
- Critically question meetings
- Respect time
- Clearly structure decisions
This lever is particularly effective in SMEs because organizational changes can be implemented more quickly.
How ME business group supports companies
Many companies recognize the problem – but do not know how to deal with it in a structured way.
The ME business group supports organizations in systematically establishing time hygiene.
Our work is based on three central levers.
1. Meeting Guidelines for Organizations
We develop clear standards for meetings, for example:
- Clear meeting types
- binding agenda structures
- defined roles in the meeting
- Documentation of results
These guidelines provide orientation for managers and teams.
2. Leadership development
Effective meetings are a Leadership skills .
In training courses and workshops, managers learn:
- moderate meetings in a goal-oriented manner
- Structure discussions
- Efficient decision-making
This not only increases efficiency, but also the quality of decision-making. Our MEvleopment program can do just that: MEvelopment is your DEvelopment| Leadership Excellence Training Reimagined
3. Organizational Design for Focus Work
In addition to meeting structures, we also look at the organization of working hours:
- Focus times in the calendar
- Clear voting formats
- Better use of digital tools
This creates a work environment where collaboration works without blocking productivity.
Conclusion: Fewer meetings – better collaboration
Meetings are not a problem per se.
The problem is poorly organized meetings .
Companies that establish time hygiene win:
- more focus time
- Faster decisions
- happier employees
This is an enormous productivity lever, especially for SMEs.
After all, time is one of a company's most valuable resources.
And how we deal with it is ultimately a question of Leadership and Organization .
More about this in the free introductory appointment: https://calendly.com/markus-oldenburger-me-business-group/austausch-teams