Informal feedback received in the past, from the executives working in organizations, on the effectiveness of meetings, was not encouraging. Its effectiveness can be gauged when some executives opine ‘Meetings are held to keep minutes and waste valuable hours’. The informal feedback prompted to do a formal research in this area. Working executives in business organizations were surveyed to get formal feedback about the meetings. The findings indicate that currently meetings are not viewed by majority of the employees as effective and useful for the organizations or the employees. They feel that meetings per se are useful, but the way meetings are held do not lead to achieve the desired objectives and results. Meetings rather result in wastage of valuable resources and time. If properly handled, meetings can be very effective.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of meetings are dull, frustrating, unproductive, even counterproductive. They are often viewed as time-wasting processes that interrupt rather than contribute to the real work being done in an organization [1]. Meetings, however, are vital to the well-being of an organization. Meetings are expected to be the forums where information is shared, problems are solved and decisions are made. In fact, planned and handled correctly, meetings are synergistic. They can lead to ideas and create an energy that would never have developed without the dynamics of the group working together. Meetings are full of potential, but that potential is developed far less often than it should be. With forethought and good leadership, meetings can be exciting and productive channels of communication.

One component essential to a good meeting is the underlying concept that everyone in the meeting has a voice. Meetings are meant to be forums, not lectures. As the leader of a meeting, one should recognize that these occasions are worthwhile only when people feel, they can ask questions, try out ideas without fear and discuss problems. If meetings are routinely called simply to tell people what they should be doing or to inform of what they have been doing, possibly that will be misuse or non-use of the potential of the meetings as a dynamic forum for group communication. On the other hand, one must be able to handle the group so that it stays in control. An effective meeting is democratic, not anarchic.