How can meetings make the most of collective intelligence — and not leave us miserable

Many of us spend much of our time in meetings. They are the everyday expression of collective intelligence — bringing groups together to think. But often they feel like a waste of time, and fail to make the most of the knowledge and experience of the people present. Oddly, the vast majority of meetings in business, academia, and politics ignore almost everything that is known about what makes meetings work.

Strangely the world has few if any serious centres that study the science of meetings and how they could be made better. There are plenty of options and fashions — but not much evidence on what works. This has become even more apparent during a year of endless Zoom and Team calls that has generated a vast treasure trove of new data on meetings — but without institutions in place to make the most of it.

Here I look at what is known, and how that knowledge can be used. I explain why meetings haven’t disappeared, despite an explosion of technologies that might have rendered them redundant. And I suggest how meetings might be organized to make the most of the collective intelligence in the room and beyond. Specifically I suggest that anyone responsible for meetings should at least consider:

-being clear on purposes (which can range from sharing information to creativity and decision-making);

-using an explicit division of labour (including not just facilitation but also a range of other…