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Meeting Creep
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What is Meeting Creep?

Meeting Creep

Meeting Creep refers to the subtle and often undetected increase in the frequency or duration of meetings within an organization
Definition
Daniel Wirtz
Co-Founder, Facilitator School
Last updated
June 14, 2024

Meeting creep, often unnoticed at first, can significantly disrupt the flow and effectiveness of your workplace interactions. At its core, meeting creep refers to the tendency of meetings to extend beyond their scheduled times or increase in frequency, thus consuming valuable time that could be used for other productive tasks. This phenomenon typically starts subtly but can quickly spiral out of control if not promptly addressed.

To understand why this happens, consider the pressures of an interconnected workplace where collaboration and consensus are highly valued. The desire to include all relevant parties and ensure that everyone has a say might lead to extended discussions or additional meetings. While inclusivity is crucial, it’s equally important to respect the planned scope and timing of meetings. By failing to do so, an organization risks reducing overall productivity and possibly overloading its team members with excessive meeting hours, ultimately leading to a dip in morale and efficiency.

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Meeting Creep

Why does meeting creep occur?

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Meeting creep can occur due to a variety of reasons, including lack of agenda clarity, insufficient timeboxing, and the desire to achieve consensus among all participants. Sometimes, the facilitator might not enforce the meeting’s scheduled end time, allowing discussions to extend unnecessarily.

What are the common signs of meeting creep?

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Common signs of meeting creep include meetings consistently ending later than scheduled, an increasing number of meetings that seem to have little productive outcome, and team members expressing frustration over the time spent in meetings. These signs indicate a need for better meeting management.

How can you prevent meeting creep?

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Preventing meeting creep involves clear agenda setting, strict adherence to allocated time slots, and using tools like timeboxing. Regularly reviewing the necessity and frequency of meetings can also help in minimizing unnecessary meeting time.

Why is it important to address meeting creep?

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Addressing meeting creep is crucial because it directly impacts workplace efficiency and employee satisfaction. Excessive meetings can lead to decision fatigue, reduced time for focused work, and potential burnout. Ensuring that meetings are efficient and purpose-driven supports overall productivity.

How can you stop meeting creep?

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Stopping meeting creep requires a concerted effort to enforce meeting agendas, limit the meeting duration, and evaluate the necessity of each meeting. Employing techniques like stand-up meetings for updates or asynchronous communication methods can also aid in reducing the reliance on prolonged meetings.

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