The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance by Steven G. Rogelberg

“The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance” by Steven G. Rogelberg is a book that explores how meetings in the workplace are currently ineffective, and how they can be improved. Through extensive research, the author shares tactics and tools to help managers lead their teams to peak performance.

The book begins with an overview of the current meeting landscape. Most meetings are boring, unproductive, and a waste of time. By identifying common meeting problems, the author helps readers better understand how to improve their own experiences. In a series of case studies, the reader is prompted to identify how certain changes could make a meeting more successful.

The author then outlines key factors for meeting success. Communication and technology capabilities, audience engagement, and the leadership capability of the chairperson are all explored in great detail. Technology is especially important because it helps to keep everyone on the same page, promptly and efficiently. Strategies are also explored for structuring agendas, setting objectives and goals, timetabling, and coordinating across departments.

The book also focuses on specific strategies for implementing in-person and virtual meetings. Here, the author emphasizes the importance of creating an agenda with a purpose, setting expectations, managing distractions, and monitoring performance. The book details how each of these strategies can be used to ensure the best outcomes.

The author then delves into how to lead team performance. This includes how to use shared decision making, leading during disruptions, understanding team dynamics, using proactive or reactive teaming, and setting expectations. The book also encourages meeting participants to speak their minds, trust their instincts, and be ready to challenge the status quo.

Finally, the author details how to handle post-meeting communication. This includes why post-meeting follow-ups are important, how to measure effectiveness, and how to use tools such as analytics and surveys to gauge performance.

Overall, “The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance” is a valuable book for any team leader who wants to create productive, meaningful meetings. Through research-driven strategies, it provides practical guidance for facilitating more effective meetings with better outcomes. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to increase team performance.