Have you ever found yourself in a meeting that felt completely unnecessary? No agenda, everyone’s late, or it’s the same discussion you’ve had three times without making a single decision. Of course you have—that’s exactly why phrases like “death by meetings” and “this could have been an email” exist.

During the pandemic, every interaction became a Zoom meeting. We spent all of our time “meeting,” so even organizations that weren’t meeting-heavy shifted their culture. It’s become the norm to have several large one-off or even recurring meetings.

Every time I’m in one of these oversized, unproductive meetings, I calculate the cost: 15 people—including 8 executives—in a 60-minute weekly meeting that lacks clear purpose. That’s roughly $750-$1,200 per meeting in nonprofit and small business contexts, or $39,000-$62,400 annually for a single recurring meeting.* According to Harvard Business Review research, executives spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings, with most reporting that at least 50% of meeting time is wasted. In my post “Here! Present and Accounted For,” we explored how meetings that lack clear focus, proper preparation, or defined outcomes waste time and money while dragging out decisions that should be swift and decisive.

Time is our only real currency, yet we’re wasting it in meetings that could—and should—be emails. I’ve created the Send or Gather: The Ultimate Communication Quiz to help you make better decisions before scheduling your next meeting. It’s not always obvious whether you need an email, a focused meeting with key stakeholders, or (rarely) a large group gathering. This quiz gives you a framework for making that call strategically rather than reflexively.

Every unnecessary meeting fragments attention, delays real work, and creates operational overwhelm that keeps organizations from focusing on what actually matters. This short quiz helps you pause and assess the right next move. Take it yourself, then share it with your team—empower everyone to make better decisions about how you spend your most valuable resource.

📝Take the Send or Gather Quiz Now

*Estimated cost based on typical nonprofit/small business salary ranges: staff ($50K-$75K) and executives ($85K-$150K), with 15 attendees in weekly 60-minute meetings.

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