Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’ve been in meetings all day, what a brilliant use of my time”? No one we know ever has. Yet in India’s offices, the reflex answer to every crisis, idea, or people issue remains the same: “Let’s call a meeting.”
The successfuls figured out hacks. Jeff Bezos used his “two pizza” rule. Steve Jobs preferred walk-and-talk sessions. Elon Musk imposed five-minute meetings. Oprah Winfrey banned phones. They all knew one thing. Meetings can be sharp weapons for speed and clarity. But the moment they are badly run, they become blunt instruments that bruise morale and drain productivity.
The symptoms are easy to spot. Meetings that are too frequent leave no space for deep work. Meetings that begin in peak hours crush focus. Poorly designed meetings meander endlessly. And many end without a single clear decision. The disease spreads faster when “everyone” is invited - just in case.
The costs are not small. A Microsoft survey across 31 countries found that 68 percent of workers lacked enough uninterrupted time to do their jobs. Inefficient meetings were a top reason. European researchers found that dysfunctional meetings, those full of drifting conversations, complaints, or passive criticism were linked to weaker innovation, shrinking market share, and fragile job stability.
India adds its own twists. Meetings here are to seem busy. They are less about decisions and more about status. A senior executive’s presence can turn a ten-minute issue into a two-hour ritual of deference. Younger employees hesitate to speak up. Everyone nods along and leaves with nothing resolved. At their best, meetings are culture in action. At their worst, they are meme-in-life.
The generational divide makes it worse. For a first-time employee, a meeting seems like a waste of time. Attendance is visibility. Silence is respect. For veterans, the frustration comes from decades of verbose updates and endless consensus-building. Juniors think presence equals performance. Seniors think endurance equals leadership. Neither view serves India Inc’s future.
Then there is the social contract of time. In much of corporate India, time is elastic. Meetings rarely start on schedule, stretch far beyond their slot, and often spill into evenings. Long hours remain a badge of honor, so wasting time feels normalized. Yet respecting time is not just about efficiency. It is about dignity. Every unnecessary meeting eats into energy that could have gone into learning, family, or rest.
Some Indian companies are breaking the pattern. Infosys and TCS experimented with short stand-up meetings. Startups like Zerodha have introduced no-meeting days. A few progressive Boards now run tightly timed, agenda-driven sessions where even younger managers get space to present directly. Meetings can evolve if discipline matches intent.
If Indian firms cut even 10 percent of this waste, the gain would rival the output of a mid-sized company. For an economy that prides itself on efficiency, this can become a balance-sheet problem.
At the same time, meetings are also where culture shows its face. A leader who dominates every conversation signals that hierarchy matters more than ideas.
Great meetings don’t just happen. They are designed. The best ones are intentional, structured, and outcome-driven. Done right, they are accelerators, not speed bumps. A good meeting sparks ideas, builds alignment, and creates those small moments of “social learning” that push people forward. They are also the simplest stage for leaders to show what the organization stands for, and for employees to understand the why behind the decisions that shape their work.
Organizations that run good meetings treat them with discipline. The invite spells out the purpose, the agenda, and the role of each person. Only those who can move the decision forward are called in. The outcome is clear before the discussion begins, and preparation is non-negotiable. Devices stay away. The focus is on solving, not circling, the problem. Everyone gets a voice, so the session does not collapse into a monologue. Decisions rest on data, not opinion. And every conclusion ends with names, deadlines, and clear action points.
The reset is not complicated. Protect “no meeting hours” during the week so deep work can happen. Insist that every invite states the purpose and expected outcome. Rotate a timekeeper so that the clock is respected by all, not just enforced by hierarchy. End each meeting with one-line takeaways from every participant so no one can hide in silence. And at the board level, set aside one slot for emerging leaders to present directly, unfiltered by layers of management.
India is betting on productivity as its growth engine. If time remains the most squandered resource inside our offices, that ambition falters. Every wasted hour in a corporate tower in Gurugram or Bengaluru is also an opportunity denied to the customer waiting for faster service, the engineer eager to build, or the fresher who wants to learn. Time, once lost, does not recycle.
So before you send the next calendar invite, ask yourself one question. Will this be the best use of everyone’s time?
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
