The Surprising Science of Meetings

Reviews / Votes

Some of the suggestions in the book are easy to implement. Playing music or offering snacks can be a simple fix to lift mood before the meeting begins. Some, on the other hand, require some more effortful reflection, like reviewing attendee feedback on meeting quality. Fortunately, Rogelberg spares readers from the grunt work by providing templates with survey questions and response scales. What the reader needs to do is dedicate time to using those tools... In short, this is a book written for anyone who needs to run a meeting. The benefits you extract from it will depend on the amount of effort you put into applying the recommendations and the amount of buy-in you get from your meeting attendees. Even if you're not surprised by the science presented, it reminds you to re-examine the habitual aspects of meetings that normally go unquestioned. * Vanessa C. T. Nguyen and S. Bartholomew Craig, Department of Psychology, NC State University, Raleigh * You know what might be more useful than sitting through an hourlong department meeting? Taking that hour to read a book about why most workplaces are doing meetings all wrong. * Business Insider * Pointless, exhausting meetings are the bane of most employees' existence. But it does not have to be this way. In The Surprising Science of Meetings, Steven G. Rogelberg, a meetings science researcher with two decades of experience, draws from studies, corporate surveys and success stories to share how you can make meetings actually useful. * The Huffington Post * If one of your New Year's resolutions is to spend less time sitting in or leading useless meetings, this book is for you. * Washington Post * In workplaces around the world, meetings are where productivity and creativity go to die. Steven Rogelberg is the world's leading expert on how to fix them, and here he shares the best evidence on how we can stop wasting time and falling victim to groupthink. * Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg * To achieve bigger impact in your work tomorrow, you can start by making simple changes today. By highlighting the ways that we waste our own and others' time without even thinking about it, and offering solutions for transforming our workdays, Steven Rogelberg shows you how. A game-changer for leaders, this book is unlike any other written about meetings. It is intriguing, highly informative, insightful, and fun to read. * Tasha Eurich, New York Times bestselling author of Insight and Bankable Leadership * Finally! Evidence-based, actionable advice about improving the quality and impact of meetings. Rogelberg has written a tour de force. If you put his sage advice into action, your teams and organizations will accomplish more. * David G. Altman, Chief Operating Officer, Center for Creative Leadership * Steven Rogelberg has done the nearly impossible: translated solid organization science into a well-organized, readable, and often humorous book filled with evidence-based actionable steps that individuals, managers and leaders alike can apply to improve their own lives, their meetings, and ultimately the effectiveness of their organizations. * Alexis Fink, Senior Director of Talent Management, Intel * This book is a must read for anyone who wants to be more effective at work, especially leaders and managers. It offers practical advice on how to harness the power of meetings while avoiding many common pitfalls. I learned some very useful tactics that I will put into practice immediately. * Janine Waclawski, SVP of Human Resources and CHRO, Global Functions and Global Category Groups, PepsiCo * Non-stop meetings can often be the bane of any corporate employee's existence. Steven Rogelberg's evidence-based book offers practical tips for turning these "necessary evils" into efficient and productive interactions that engage the hearts and minds of leaders, teams, and organizations. This book is a great resource. * Robin Cohen, Head of Human Resources, Global Finance, Johnson & Johnson * One of the ten Leadership books to watch in 2019. * The Washington Post * One of the top business books everybody will be reading in 2019. Business Insider