While organizations profess the ideals of employee motivation, productivity, efficiency and annual bottom line growth, they indulge in something that is by far the least productive official activity – official meetings. Among the most dreaded moments at work, the Team Meeting or the Inter-departmental Discussions would find its place among the favourites. Managers spot the symptoms. But sometimes, they lack the will or the resources to solve them. In the case of your car, you would know when it stalls or when it produces that odd noise – those are the symptoms of a problem. But you may not know what the problem is, why the problem has occurred and how it needs to be solved. That requires a specialist mechanic to fix it.

It is when these symptoms and problems are noticed that meetings are called for. Problem solving is not an exercise that can be pulled off at ease at the nick of the moment. Still, managers believe problems can be solved within closed doors on a busy morning, just when executives may be itching to attend to that customer or to prepare for that dispatch. Sometimes, meetings are held after a sumptuous lunch when the air-conditioned meeting room would offer a cool respite from the scorching summer heat. As the Director goes on in his soothing voice, managers and executives would find it hard not to doze off on the table. I have seen managers make the pretext of going to the loo and spend a few minutes outside the sleeping room, as they try to wake up, splashing cold water on to their faces.

It is a pity if this happens in your office. And you are definitely not alone. Most employees believe meetings are dull and fruitless, one more eye wash, one more ritual that has to be conducted in the office ceremony. Long meetings and routine discussions are neither good for employee motivation, nor do they add value to employees or the organization. Employees naturally have the urge to work and excel – that is imbibed in their psyche. Organizations only need to tap into their innate desire to grow. Ideally, meetings have to be short, to the point, and free from formalities. And meeting rooms should have just a table with no chair around it. Executives and managers should discuss stuff standing, stick to the point and not waste time even as they pull their chairs to sit. The action has to be out there in the market, serving the customer.

If your organizational goal is not to improve productivity, enhance profitability, strengthen employee morale and motivate employees, you can hold regular meetings at your leisure.