"Nobody loves meetings." A phrase we've all heard, and probably said ourselves. Yet, we continue to rely on them to resolve issues and even suggest having more of them. This paradox begs the question: why do we simultaneously hate and depend on meetings?
Elizabeth Ayer argues that meetings *are* the work and become essential when the core of a business relies on decisions and shared understanding that can only be achieved through collaboration.
However, communication through emails, chats, or document comments has its limits. Ultimately, we need the richness of verbal communication to convey the nuances of our messages and establish common ground within a team to move forward.
We asked people why they both hate and rely on meetings. The three most common reasons were:
Urgency - Meetings create a deadline for people to engage within a specific timeframe.
Dialogue - The fluid exchange of potentially imperfect or partially structured ideas helps form a collective idea or plan.
Engagement Clarity - Ensures that others are listening and are actively participating in the discussion.
Despite their drawbacks, meetings can be a valuable tool for aligning a group and working towards a shared goal. However, they come at a high price, such as disruption, isolation, delays, lack of inclusion, time optimization, and repetition. Some studies have estimated that the cost of unproductive meetings can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per meeting, depending on the number of participants. In 2019, in the United States alone, the cost of poorly organized meetings totaled $399 billion.
For too long, we've settled for these sacrifices as necessary for collaboration. But what if there's a better way? What if we could harness the power of voice dialogue, get answers faster, and maintain flexibility in our schedules? What if we could promote inclusion without sacrificing efficiency and keep track of engagement without constant reminders? What if all the knowledge and discussions shared in a meeting was never lost after a meeting has ended?
Enter Carbon Voice Async meetings, a solution designed to replace traditional meetings and calls without the scheduling hassles.
Getting started is as easy as creating a calendar invite. Just add the topic, the respond-by date, and start talking to kick-off your Conversation.
Adding people into the meeting is as easy as sharing a Zoom link. Participants follow the link to join the Conversation at their convenience asynchronously listen and respond.
Transparent engagement and automatic nudges ensure the conversation progresses, while AI-powered meeting insights provide effortless summaries and action items.
The result is quicker answers, with less time invested, all while increasing clarity, flexibility, and including the right people to have a productive discussion.
Experience the future of meetings for yourself and save time by trying Carbon Voice Async meetings at https://cv.chat.
Learn more getcarbon.app/asyncmeeting.