{
  "id": 9305412,
  "title": "How to tell if people who look good in meetings are just faking it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/how-to-tell-if-people-who-look-good-in-meetings-are-just-faking-it",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-23T08:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91603666/meetings-performance-competence-guide"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In today's work environment, meetings are a vital aspect, especially for knowledge workers. It's estimated that an American professional will spend over 14 years of their career in meetings. Yet, only half of these meetings actually yield positive results, with the majority being a waste of time. Senior executives, in particular, are critical of meetings, with 71% believing they are unproductive, 65% stating they hinder important work, and 64% finding them to stifle deep thinking. Surprisingly, 90% of employees admit to daydreaming or engaging in other tasks during meetings, suggesting meetings may inadvertently boost productivity, albeit not in the conventional sense.\n\nMeetings serve a significant social function within an organization. They reveal a lot about a company's culture; from punctuality to participation, the dynamics within a meeting can tell a lot about the organization's ethos. A series of meetings could indicate collaboration, but it could also point towards bureaucracy, weak delegation, or analysis paralysis. These meetings can also mirror the underlying politics, revealing who speaks, interrupts, is challenged, or receives applause.\n\nInterestingly, some individuals stand out as meeting virtuosos. They have a knack for excelling in meetings, much like a concert pianist or a Premier League soccer player excels in their respective fields. However, this talent is largely unrelated to the skills required to be a valuable team member or leader. In other words, being good at meetings doesn't necessarily mean one is a useful employee or leader, and being bad at meetings doesn't mean one isn't a useful employee or leader.\n\nSeveral elements contribute to one's ability to excel in meetings. Firstly, talking less is key. Research shows that the more people talk during meetings, the higher their chances of becoming leaders. However, this doesn't necessarily translate to effective leadership. Secondly, challenging others or speaking up can signal confidence, status, and courage, which can be beneficial if backed by actual competence and a desire to improve the organization. Thirdly, appearing engaged is easier than being truly engaged. Strategic behaviors such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and uttering affirmative phrases can signal participation without any genuine involvement. Fourthly, humor can be a powerful tool in meetings. Affiliative humor, which fosters interpersonal connections, can improve the overall satisfaction with the meeting. Lastly, asking insightful, yet generic questions can also enhance discussions. These questions, such as \"What does success look like?\" or \"Are we solving the right problem?\", can be perceived as intelligent and strategic without requiring the presenter to demonstrate actual intelligence or strategic thinking.",
  "summary": "Whether you work remotely or in an office (or a mix of both), meetings are an integral part of work, especially for knowledge workers. According to recent estimates, the average American professional will spend more than 14 years of their working lives in meetings. As Steven Rogelberg highlighted in one of the best books on this topic ( The Surprising Science of Meetings) : 1. Only half of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}