Question

What are the potential challenges of having too many attendees in a meeting and how can they be addressed?

Having too many attendees in a meeting can lead to several challenges. Firstly, it can reduce decision-making effectiveness. For every person added beyond seven members, the effectiveness of decision making can reduce by 10%. Secondly, it can lead to reduced employee engagement, especially if the meeting is not relevant to their job. To address these challenges, it's important to keep the attendee list as concise as possible. Only invite those who are directly involved in the agenda of the meeting. This will ensure that the meeting remains focused and productive.

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Studies show that over 50% of meetings have more than two extra attendees beyond what the agenda required. While this is done with the intent to be inclusive, bloated meetings can be suboptimal. Data from Bain and Company shows that for every person added beyond seven members, decision making effectiveness reduced by 10%. Further, employee engagement reduces when they attend meetings that are not relevant to their job.

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