We All Hate Meetings—Here’s How to Make Them Work

We All Hate Meetings—Here’s How to Make Them Work

From HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

June 9, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 1082

About this episode

Paul English discusses how to improve meeting culture to enhance productivity and morale in organizations.

Meetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and morale at work, yet most managers are never actually taught how to run them well. Paul English, cofounder of Kayak, argues that organizations underestimate just how costly bad meetings can be. He says meeting culture is one of the most overlooked drivers of productivity, morale, and organizational effectiveness. Drawing on lessons from companies like Amazon, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Shopify, as well as his own experience building high-performing teams, he explains how leaders can run meetings that create clarity, energy, and better decisions instead of frustration and fatigue. English is the author of the book The Meeting Book: How the Best Companies Meet Better.

People in this episode

Guest: Paul English

Topics covered

  • meetings
  • productivity
  • organizational effectiveness
  • leadership
  • team management

Keywords

  • meetings
  • productivity
  • leadership
  • team management
  • organizational culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kayak, Amazon, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Shopify

Books & works: The Meeting Book: How the Best Companies Meet Better

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