A recent Harvard Business Review article has identified a phenomenon known as a “conference hangover.” This shows that new research can derail productivity well beyond the conference itself.
A survey conducted by the University of North Carolina Charlotte and other agencies found that over 90% of employees can experience these. “Meet a hangover” These negative effects report impair overall workflow and productivity.
“The hangover is, when we have a bad meeting, we just don’t leave it at the door. It sticks to us and has a negative impact on productivity,” said Stephen Rogelberg, professor at UNC Charlotte and author of “Amazing Science Conferences.”
The study found that employees are often forced to anti-moting about bad meetings, share their frustration with their colleagues, creating the Rogelberg term “co-engagement” and spreading negative influences throughout the organization.
Common factors contributing to negative meeting experiences include email, topics on unrelated agendas, poor promotion, too many attendees, excessive length, dominance by a small number of participants, and unnecessary meetings that were unclear decisions.
Rogelberg recommends several strategies to prevent encounters with a hangover.
“Make sure to keep your attendance list as small as possible,” Rogelberg said. “Remember, the more leaders talk, the lower their effectiveness ratings are. Therefore, meeting leaders need to talk less and promote more.”
Rather than organizing the agenda as topics to be discussed, Rogelberg suggests that they be constructed as questions that can be answered.
“By framing agenda items as questions, I have a better sense of who really has to be invited to the meeting,” he said. “When should we close the meeting and if the meeting was successful, we were able to answer the questions.”
This question-based approach creates engaging challenges that attract people, adding that “it means that if you can’t think of the question, you don’t need to create a meeting.”
For employees who are already struggling to meet a hangover, Rogelberg suggests focusing on issues-focused conversations with colleagues.
“I’m chatting with my colleagues about how to deal with future situations, getting ideas, getting a sense of purpose, and taking a variety of perspectives on what happened. These types of conversations increase your skills and resilience when there’s a bad meeting,” Rogelberg said.
