Meeting Overload: A Root Cause Analysis Approach

Debbie Fennell on March 29, 2026

Author: Rhonda Williams, MBA, MSN, RN


Across sectors, we continue to see leaders showing up with commitment, urgency, and a deep sense of responsibility. At the same time, one operational pattern frequently surfaces in our work with executive teams: calendars filled with meetings that leave little space for the work those meetings generate.

While this is no doubt a significant challenge, here is the good news. Often, this is a design issue.

Research shows that professionals now attend between 8 and 17 meetings per week, a dramatic increase compared with pre-pandemic norms, and 45% of employees report feeling overwhelmed by the number of meetings they attend (Microsoft Work Trend Index, 2023; Atlassian, 2022). When meeting time expands without corresponding clarity or decision discipline, focus becomes fragmented and execution suffers.

At the same time, leadership capacity is under pressure. Managers experience higher levels of burnout than individual contributors, according to Gallup’s global workplace research (Gallup, 2023). When leaders spend most of their time in meetings, strategic thinking and meaningful follow-through can be compressed.

In our discussions with executives and leaders, meeting overload is increasingly becoming a central factor in helping leaders navigate the real challenges that limit their effectiveness. Rather than asking how to endure an overwhelming meeting load, we have been diving into honest conversations about what’s driving it and what can be done about it.

If your team has expressed similar sentiments, consider conducting a brief root cause analysis with your team around these five drivers:

  1. Unclear Purpose and Outcomes
    1. Are meetings tied to specific decisions, or are they standing forums for updates?
    2. What percentage of your meetings end with a documented decision, owner, next action, and timeline?
    3. What information can be shared and acknowledged without a meeting?
  2. Diffuse Decision Rights
    1. Are meetings compensating for a lack of clarity around who owns final decisions?
    2. Where are decisions being revisited multiple times because ownership was never explicit?
    3. Does every leader have a purpose for being at each meeting?
  3. Redundant Communication Channels
    1. Are teams sharing the same information in multiple venues?
    2. How often is the same update delivered in a meeting that could have been shared asynchronously?
  4. Recurring Meeting Inertia
    1. Have standing meetings outlived their original purpose?
    2. If you cancelled this meeting for 30 days, what would meaningfully break?
  5. Cultural Signals of Busyness
    1. Is a full calendar unconsciously equated with value or commitment?
    2. Do leaders who protect focus time receive the same recognition as those who appear constantly available?

Addressing these causes requires honest diagnostic work and leadership discipline. It calls for the courage to resist the inertia of habit and sameness. In my experience, these conversations often begin with the belief that the meeting load is unavoidable. But as that assumption is examined, opportunities for redesign begin to surface.

Start by asking: Why does this meeting exist? What decision will it drive? Could this be resolved asynchronously? Even small adjustments can restore focus time, reduce the risk of burnout, and sharpen the distinction between urgency and strategic progress.

Full calendars are not a reliable indicator of productivity. Capacity is reclaimed through intentional design, disciplined prioritization, and empowered flexibility.


Executive Reflection
Which of these root causes show up most often in your team’s rhythm, and what intentional action could you take this week or this month to test an alternative?

References

Atlassian. (2022). The state of meetings report. Atlassian.

Gallup. (2023). State of the global workplace report. Gallup.

Microsoft. (2023). Work Trend Index annual report. Microsoft.

Shared from March 2026 Issue of Thunderbird Leadership Consulting ELEVATE – Tbird’s Hub for Practical Leadership Insights.

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