Are meetings taking over your work day? You’re not alone.

Do you hate meetings? Do you feel like they are taking too much of your work day? If so, you are not alone. A recent study by Microsoft found that by the end of 2020, the number of meetings had doubled since the beginning of the pandemic. By 2022, they had hit an all-time high. 

The increase in meetings has also contributed to longer workdays, Microsoft found. The average workday has lengthened by about an hour, according to the company’s research, and more people are doing work later in the evening. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with Derek Thompson, a staff writer at The Atlantic who recently wrote about the rise in meetings. She also spoke with two business and management experts about the culture of meetings, how meetings affect our workdays and what we can do about it. 

Guests: 

• Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the host of the “Plain English” podcast on the Ringer. 

• Jody Thompson is the founder of the consulting group CultureRx. 

• Marcella De La Torre is the director of the Center for Innovation in the Business of Health Care at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.