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Meetings are often thought of as a necessary evil in the modern workplace. In fact, many professionals today spend so much time in meetings that they feel like they have little time left to do actual work. Ironic, right?
But decades ago, IKEA’s legendary founder Ingvar Kamprad was adamantly opposed to unnecessary meetings, advocating short, focused discussions instead.
One might wonder how our work culture has reached a point where we waste time, when ideas like Kamprad’s were and still are. But while his philosophy of reducing the length and frequency of meetings to increase productivity resonates with current discussions about workplace efficiency, some might argue that the approach is not appropriate in an era characterized by digital communication and hybrid work environments.
But maybe Kamprad was right all along, so let’s examine the core of his philosophy and see how it relates to today’s demands.
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The problem with excessive meetings
I mentioned earlier that meetings often take up a large portion of the day, but for more context, a study by Harvard Business Review found that executives spend approximately 23 hours per week in meetings, up from less than 10 hours in the 1960s. The idea that this can be reduced by working longer hours or harder is completely misguided and, even if that were true, fewer meetings would be better.
Because according to a Korn Ferry study, 67% of employees believe that meetings that take too long prevent them from doing their best work. What I take from this is that eliminating unnecessary meetings will save you time, but what you can do better in that time saved.
Kamprad was keenly aware of this reality and its dangers. His approach at IKEA was notoriously frugal, not just in money but also in time. He insisted that meetings be short, actionable and focused on the essentials, prioritizing next steps and action items.
His philosophy was born from a deep understanding that too many meetings lead to poor focus, poor decision-making, and ultimately reduced productivity. This resonates deeply with me. As a former CTO of a 150-person remote engineering team, I was constantly on calls, getting distracted, and getting off track. This inspired me to create Bubbles, an AI note-taking and asynchronous collaboration platform.
At Bubbles, we’ve proven through our meeting research that this communication style, combined with keeping meetings strictly on important topics, can reduce meeting time by up to 38%. Personally, I’ve seen a hugely positive ripple effect in terms of productivity as a result.
Related: Why Fewer Meetings Can Increase Productivity
The economic cost of meetings
Long meetings not only cause frustration, but also have real financial costs. According to a Doodle report, poorly run meetings cost US companies $399 billion in 2019 alone. These losses are due to lost productivity, wasted time, and ineffective follow-up activities. A Microsoft study also found that after 30-40 minutes, participants’ attention starts to wane and the results become less effective. From personal experience, I agree with this, so I advocate that meetings should only focus on important topics. Everything else can be sent via bubbles, Slack messages, or email.
This is especially important because, from a business’s perspective, time is money, and cutting down on unnecessary meetings can lead to big savings in terms of both time and employee engagement. Kamprad argued that the longer meetings last, the less productive they are for both the business and the participants. I think this still holds true today.
Kamprad’s Philosophy in the Modern Workplace
In an age of online meeting fatigue and constant “quick pings,” Ingvar Kamprad’s meeting philosophy is more relevant than ever. His belief in using time efficiently coincides with the growing popularity of asynchronous working models, where teams communicate and collaborate without needing to be online at the same time. Although this model is on the rise, the statistics for online meetings are still staggering.
For example, Microsoft Teams is expected to have 320 million users worldwide in 2024, and in a world of remote work, 76% of employees use video calling daily. Combine this with the Korn Ferry statistic above, and it’s easy to see how Kamprad’s focus on fast decision-making and streamlined processes aligns well with this modern approach. His methods for cutting out unnecessary face-to-face time mean more work gets done.
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Are minimalist meetings the best option?
But Kamprad’s philosophy is not without pitfalls. While shorter meetings can certainly increase productivity, overdoing it can undermine the quality of collaboration and team cohesion. Not all meetings are wasteful; some are necessary for creative collaboration, making important decisions, or aligning the team around strategic goals like OKRs.
According to a 2021 Gartner survey, 82% of employees say that well-structured, purposeful meetings are essential to productivity and engagement. For me, the key is to find the balance between minimizing time-wasting meetings and ensuring important discussions are held effectively.
Conclusion: Still important, but adaptive
So, does Ingvar Kamprad’s meeting philosophy still apply today? The answer is yes, but with a few adjustments to your meeting management. His principles of focusing on important communications, reducing time waste, and ensuring meetings lead to clear action remain critical for modern business practices. But as our world of work becomes increasingly digital, companies need to adapt this philosophy by embracing new tools and methods to ensure collaboration doesn’t suffer.
Ultimately, Kamprad’s legacy offers a valuable lesson: meetings should not become work. Make sure you keep that in mind.
