Arbeitszeit: Teuer und ineffizient? So viel hat Ihr letztes Meeting gekostet

In Germany, the cost of inefficient meetings amounts to 64 billion euros per year, according to Doodle's "State of Meetings Report 2019." When adjusted for inflation, this figure rises to approximately 80 billion euros, as calculated by the Handelsblatt. The Handelsblatt provides a tool to estimate meeting costs, including a rough estimate of meeting inefficiency.

Tips for increasing meeting efficiency are also provided. The number of participants is the primary factor influencing meeting inclusiveness and efficiency. According to a Microsoft study, perceived inclusiveness and meeting efficiency are strongly correlated. The study found that meetings with two or three participants are perceived as inclusive by over 90% of respondents, while meetings with six or more participants have a perception of inclusiveness of only 67%.

Meetings with more than 15 participants only see a third of participants feeling included and thus consider the meeting efficient. Lev Tankelevitch, one of the study authors, states that fewer people do not automatically make for a better meeting, but for each person, it must be clear why they are attending. Smaller meetings make it clearer to the individual why they are participating, leading to greater satisfaction with small meetings.

Additionally, smaller meetings have a higher chance of individual participation, further contributing to perceived efficiency. Some companies have established rules for meeting sizes, with Jeff Bezos at Amazon stipulating that no more than eight people should attend a meeting, the equivalent of two pizzas. Bayer follows a similar approach.

Nisha Mahendrarajan from Bayer's core team for meeting culture emphasizes that if you cannot contribute to or derive value from a meeting, you are allowed to leave it early. Many employees were surprised to find out that Bayer could save 124 million euros annually if everyone spent an hour less in meetings each week. This highlights the importance of efficient meetings.

Other factors that influence meeting efficiency according to the study include having an agenda, punctuality, and timely start and end times. Companies like Microsoft have aligned their meeting policies with these insights and are disseminating similar guidelines across their organization. Unlike previous approaches, there has been no significant reduction in managerial positions in the German economy.