What Would You Give for an Extra 10 Hours in Your Week?

For many leaders, the idea sounds impossible. Yet organisations that rethink how meetings are run are finding exactly that: whole blocks of time being given back to their calendars

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in Entrepreneur

Most leaders know the frustration of wasted meetings. Long agendas, crowded calendars and hours lost without meaningful outcomes are a regular feature of working life. Over time, this cycle creates frustration. Some employees disengage quietly, attending out of obligation but contributing little.

Redefining What Deserves a Meeting

The first shift comes from asking a simple question: does this really need to be a meeting? Many recurring calls exist purely out of habit, carried over from the past. By challenging this assumption, leaders clear significant space in their calendars. Meetings are reframed as intentional choices, not default routines.

Setting Boundaries on Time and Attendance

Leaders also need to set strict guardrails around meetings. Meetings should default to 30 minutes, with longer sessions requiring justification. Each meeting also needs a clear lead who owns the agenda, keeps the discussion on track and confirms next steps. Attendance should also be limited to those essential to the conversation. Smaller groups make decisions faster and more decisively. Crucially, the culture shifts: not being invited is no longer seen as exclusion but as respect for an individual’s time.

Standardising Decisions

Another reason meetings waste time is the lack of closure. Too often, people leave uncertain about what has been decided. To break this pattern, leaders introduce a “decision log.” Every meeting should close with three essentials recorded: the decision itself, the owner responsible and the next step. The log quickly becomes a leadership tool, giving visibility into what is moving forward and what is stalling.

Tracking the Wins

Leaders track progress by logging meeting hours before and after the changes. Within weeks, the results should start to become clear as leaders and team members begin to reclaim time.

When one company put these principles into practice, the impact was immediate and measurable. Employees reported reclaiming as much as ten hours each week that had previously been swallowed up by unnecessary meetings. The reduction did not just free calendars; it created breathing room. With fewer meetings demanding their attention, leaders finally had the space to think strategically, plan effectively, and lead with greater focus.

The impact however goes far beyond the hours gained back. Leaders often feel more energised, less drained, and can focus more on work that truly advances the business.

What begins as small adjustments grows into cultural change. By rethinking how meetings are run, organisations not only save time but also reshape the way leaders work, decide and lead their teams.