A recent estimate suggests that employees endure a staggering 55 million meetings a day in the United States. This tremendous time investment yields only modest returns. No organization made up of human beings is immune from the all-too-common meeting gripes: those that fail to engage, those that inadvertently encourage participants to tune out, and those that blatantly disregard participants' time. Most companies and leaders view poor meetings as an inevitable cost of doing business. But managers can take heart: researchers now have a clear understanding of the key drivers that make meetings successful. In The Surprising Science of Meetings, Steven G. Rogelberg, researcher and consultant to some of the world's most successful companies, draws from extensive research, analytics and data mining, and survey interviews with over 5,000 employees across a range of industries to share the proven practices and techniques that help managers and employees enhance the quality of their meetings. For those who lead and participate in meetings, Rogelberg provides immediate direction, guidance, and relief, offering a how-to guide to change your working life starting today.

Steven G. Rogelberg is Chancellor's Professor at University of North Carolina, Charlotte, for distinguished national, international, and interdisciplinary contributions. He has well over 100 publications and recently won the highly prestigious Humboldt Award for his research on meeting science. His work has been profiled in the Harvard Business Review, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, NPR, Guardian, National Geographic, and Scientific American Mind, among others. In addition to his research and teaching, he consults for small and large organizations, including IBM, TIAA, Procter & Gamble, VF Corporation, Family Dollar, Siemens, and others. Dr. Rogelberg founded and currently directs large outreach initiatives focusing on nonprofit organization health and effectiveness with over 500 nonprofits served.

Preface SECTION I: Setting the Meeting Stage Chapter 01: So Many Meetings and So Much Frustration Chapter 02: Get Rid of Meetings? No, Solve Meetings Through Science SECTION II: Evidence-Based Strategies for Leaders Chapter 03: The Image in the Mirror is Likely Wrong Chapter 04: Meet for 48 Minutes Chapter 05: Agendas Are a Hollow Crutch Chapter 06: The Bigger, The Badder Chapter 07: Don't Get Too Comfortable in That Chair Chapter 08: Deflate Negative Energy From the Start Chapter 09: No More Talking! Chapter 10: The Folly of the Remote Call-in Meeting Chapter 11: Putting it All Together Epilogue: Trying to Get Ahead of the Science--Using Science Tool: Meeting Quality Self-Assessment Tool: Sample Engagement Survey and 360 Feedback Questions on Meetings Tool: Good Meeting Facilitation Checklist Tool: Huddle Implementation Checklist Tool: Agenda Template Tool: Guide to Taking Good Meeting Minutes/Notes Tool: Expectations Assessment Acknowledgments References Index