PPP 506 | Stop Optimizing Meetings. Start Reducing Them, with Rebecca Hinds

About this episode

Andy and Rebecca discuss the inefficiencies of meetings and the importance of reducing their volume rather than optimizing them.

Summary In this episode, Andy welcomes Rebecca Hinds, organizational behavior researcher and author of Your Best Meeting Ever . Rebecca brings a behavioral science lens to one of the most persistent pain points in modern work: meetings that multiply, linger, and drain rather than deliver. Andy and Rebecca explore the concept of meeting debt, and why reducing meeting volume often matters far more than optimizing agendas. They discuss why meetings have become status symbols and performance art, how a simple social contract makes it nearly impossible to decline an invite, and what meeting minimalism actually means (hint: it's not about ruthless efficiency). Rebecca shares practical ideas, like calendar cleanses, Return on Time Invested (ROTI) ratings, and unexpected guardrails, including the fascinating case of the 27-minute meeting. They also wrestle with AI's potential to either genuinely improve meeting culture or simply make expensive, inefficient meetings feel more productive. If you're looking for a research-backed, practical guide to finally taking back your calendar, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "Why do we cling to this practice that has largely remained unchanged…

People in this episode

Host: Andy Kaufman

Guest: Rebecca Hinds

Topics covered

• meetings
• organizational behavior
• meeting culture
• productivity
• behavioral science

Keywords

• meeting debt
• calendar cleanses
• Return on Time Invested
• meeting minimalism
• AI in meetings

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Your Best Meeting Ever

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