Dr. Steven Rogelberg is a chancellor’s professor at UNC Charlotte, former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and author of Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings.
Too many drinks can ruin your morning. But too many meetings? That can wreck your whole week’s calendar.
According to a new survey of 5,000 U.S. and U.K. workers I conducted with great collaborators at Asana Work Innovation Lab, over 1 in 4 workplace meetings leave employees with lingering negative effects. The impact includes reduced engagement and productivity that sometimes last for hours. We call it a “meeting hangover.”
The good news? It’s possible to prevent or recover from bad meetings.
What do ‘meeting hangovers’ feel like?
Over 90 percent of respondents experienced a meeting hangover at least occasionally. More than half felt a negative impact on their productivity; 47 percent even had worse interactions with co-workers. Many vented frustrations to colleagues, spreading negativity.
The most common frustrations included irrelevant discussions, lack of clear agenda or objectives, poor time management, lack of follow-up actions, and unequal or low participation.
How meeting leaders can prevent hangovers
Think of leading a meeting like manning a bar — too many guests, no clear plan, and one-way conversations create chaos by night’s end. But with the right approach, you can keep things lively, focused, and hangover-free. Here’s how:
- Cut the guest list: Invite only essential participants to prevent wasting anyone’s time.
- Keep discussions focused: Make agendas specific and question-driven.
- Facilitate, don’t dominate: Encourage participation instead of controlling the conversation. Let team members discuss agenda items or use interactive polls.
- Manage time effectively: To avoid fatigue, keep meetings short and stick to set time limits.
- Ensure accountability: Assign clear action items with designated owners to prevent inaction.
How to recover from a bad meeting
If a meeting leaves you drained, try walking it off; a change of environment or brief physical activity can help refresh your mind. (Or do a mindfulness exercise to press pause, then reset.) Instead of venting to colleagues, use discussions to problem-solve and gain perspective.
By improving meeting practices, leaders and employees will create and thrive in a more productive work environment. We can all say “cheers” to that.
