Why Do We Have So Many Pointless Meetings at Work?

If you work in an office, you have probably experienced meetings that seem to go nowhere. In some workplaces, meetings are held just to decide when to have the next meeting. It sounds like a joke, but unfortunately, it is not. These are meetings about meetings — a true modern workplace comedy.

Many of these sessions stretch on for far too long, filled with corporate jargon and buzzwords like “action items,” “alignment,” and “circling back.” While there is usually an agenda, it often gets ignored. The person leading the meeting may try hard to sound important or strategic, but in the end, very little actually gets done. People walk out wondering what the point was.

Then comes the unofficial “meeting after the meeting.” You know the one. People gather just outside the room, blocking the hallway, talking about the same things that were already discussed. Sometimes they complain. Sometimes they act like something groundbreaking just happened. Occasionally, someone even expresses excitement for the next meeting. It becomes a never-ending loop of discussion without direction.

There was a time when meetings served a clear purpose. Decisions were made, tasks were assigned, and everyone left with a sense of clarity. Somewhere along the way, that changed. Meetings have become more about appearances than results. It is not uncommon to sit through an hour-long session and realize that the entire conversation could have been handled in a brief email.

The rise of virtual meetings has only made things worse in some cases. With just a few clicks, people schedule back-to-back video calls that leave no room for actual work. Instead of boosting productivity, these meetings often interrupt it.

Not all meetings are bad, of course. When used wisely, they can help teams align, solve problems, and make important decisions. But when meetings become routine without purpose, they drain time and energy.

So the next time you find yourself in a meeting that goes in circles, it is fair to wonder — could this have been solved with a quick message instead?