Section 1.1: The Need for Change

It’s time to reclaim our time. Many engineers find themselves working late hours due to an avalanche of meetings. This situation is frustrating; we all have personal lives, families, and interests outside of work. Continuous programming shouldn’t consume our entire day and night.

Corporations must recognize the value of their engineers' time. Although they might not explicitly demand overtime, the meeting-heavy environment often inhibits productivity during regular hours. So how do we regain control?

I recently attended a meeting whose sole agenda item was to discuss reducing the number of meetings. Ironically, it lasted an hour! The simple solution? Just stop scheduling so many calls.

We don't need to create topics for discussion that don't directly contribute to product delivery or personal growth. Utilize emails, Slack, or Teams for communication, or consider whether the conversation is necessary at all.

Does anyone recall the acronym W.A.I.T? It stands for "Why am I talking?" and serves as a useful reminder of whether your input is truly needed.

Often, people fill meetings with chatter as a misguided effort to feel productive or in control. However, the reality is we must trust our teams to manage their own tasks effectively.

Section 1.2: The Meeting Overload

My calendar is crammed with various meetings: daily stand-ups, weekly syncs, bi-weekly check-ins, and more. Even a day dedicated to learning about Agile methodologies feels counterproductive. Scheduled for the last workday of the quarter, this meeting prevents engineers from finalizing their deliverables.

So how did we reach this point? While I don't have all the solutions, I do have insights into why this might be happening and how we can shift this corporate culture.

In 2020, remote work dynamics changed dramatically. While some of us were already accustomed to working from home, many found themselves adapting to this new environment. The spontaneous in-person conversations that used to happen in office corridors were replaced by scheduled calls, leading to feelings of disconnection and isolation.

This situation warrants attention. We must recognize the problems caused by excessive meetings and strive for alternative social interactions.

Here are several reasons contributing to our current predicament:

1. The Illusion of Control: Project managers may feel a lack of control in a remote setting. However, true productivity comes from allowing skilled engineers the freedom to work independently. A former boss once advised, "Hire intelligent people and step aside."
2. Misconception that Talking Equals Productivity: Many meetings devolve into round-robin discussions without actionable outcomes. The phrase "super productive call" often masks the reality that time could have been spent more efficiently.
3. Loss of Social Interaction: Team members, especially extroverts, miss the informal socialization opportunities that an office provides. Finding alternative social avenues or asking to work in the office more frequently can help alleviate this.

Section 1.3: The Cost of Excessive Meetings

Engineers and creatives require uninterrupted time to reach a productive flow state. Frequent interruptions disrupt this process, with each break taking roughly 15 minutes to recover from. This leads to decreased work quality and increased hours spent trying to catch up, resulting in burnout and dissatisfaction.

In extreme cases, this can lead to attrition, which ultimately affects product quality and team morale.

Section 1.4: Strategies to Combat Meeting Overload

To address these challenges, action is needed from both meeting organizers and participants. Here are some strategies:

1. Respect Others' Time: Limit unnecessary meetings. Be mindful of scheduling during critical work periods.
2. Empower Team Members to Decline Meetings: Encourage engineers to prioritize their work. If a meeting isn't essential, suggest they catch up on notes or watch a recording later.
3. Cultivate Trust: Reducing the number of status calls can foster a culture of trust and accountability.
4. Utilize Asynchronous Communication: Determine the best way to convey messages. Not everything requires a meeting—many discussions can occur through emails or messages.
5. Batch Meetings: Designate specific days or times for meetings to minimize interruptions during productive hours.
6. Keep Meetings Short and Purposeful: Create an agenda to guide discussions. Clear objectives can lead to more effective outcomes.