{"id":534,"date":"2025-04-18T14:47:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T12:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/?post_type=news&#038;p=534"},"modified":"2025-04-18T14:47:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T12:47:26","slug":"meetings-are-expensive-how-can-we-reinvest-this-time-in-useful-actions","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/news\/la-reunionite-coute-cher-comment-reinvestir-ce-temps-en-actions-utiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Too many meetings, not enough action: what if we reinvested our time differently?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>We don't have the budget. We don't have the time. Not yet validated. We're waiting for feedback. How about a meeting? You hear these phrases every week. You may even be the one who says them. And yet, all the while, competitors are making progress, markets are changing, trends are being confirmed, and your projects are at a standstill.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the food ingredients sector, where innovation, regulation and time-to-market impose a sustained tempo, <strong>inertia is expensive<\/strong>. Very expensive. Behind every meeting without a clear objective or every decision put off, opportunities are lost. What if we changed our approach? What if, instead of accumulating milestones, we reinvested this time - and therefore this money - in concrete, useful and measurable actions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The real hidden cost of meetings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a study by <strong>H<a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2017\/07\/stop-the-meeting-madness?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">arvard Business Review<\/a><\/strong>, an executive spends on average <strong>23 hours a week in meetings<\/strong> (yes, you read that right, 23 hours in meetings!), or more than half their working time. And this figure rises even higher in highly hierarchical or multi-site companies. But what's even more striking is that nearly <strong>70 % of these meetings are perceived as useless<\/strong> or not very productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What this means in practical terms :<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Resource mobilised<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Estimated cost per meeting (1 hour for 5 people)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Average salary time<\/td><td>250 \u00e0 400 \u20ac<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Loss of earnings on delayed projects<\/td><td>Incalculable, but real<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Opportunity cost (failed market, delayed launch)<\/td><td>Several thousand euros depending on the context<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a medium-sized company, this represents <strong>tens of thousands of euros a year<\/strong>, Not to mention decision fatigue and loss of team motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shopify, in the United States, has calculated the daily cost of what they call the \u00abMeeting Apocalypse\u00bb and it's quite staggering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Meeting Apocalypse: Less Meetings, More Productivity\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FcJcPZbF07s?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When meetings replace decisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>La <em>meetings<\/em> is not a bad thing in itself. Exchanges are necessary, especially in our sector where scientific, regulatory and marketing issues need to be aligned. But when they become <strong>a refuge from inaction<\/strong>, They are a hindrance to the collective dynamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are three tell-tale symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cascade validations<\/strong> Each idea requires three levels of approval.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Projects \u201con hold\u201d<\/strong> In the absence of a clear sponsor or a quick decision, we keep putting things off.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Teams losing their way<\/strong> Too many points, too few deliverables.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The result? Innovative concepts put on the back burner, missed communication opportunities (trade shows, launches, differentiating content), and campaigns that are out of sync due to a lack of arbitration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>A good first step is to think about the relevance of holding a meeting in the first place:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"5 tips for dealing with meeting overload | The Way We Work, a TED series\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mp3Msfw90BE?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transforming inertia into a lever for action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news? The time saved by not holding meetings can become a tremendous source of efficiency. All you need to do is redirect it methodically. Here are a few practical ideas, designed for people in the <strong>B2B nutrition health<\/strong> and <strong>functional ingredients<\/strong> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Budget time as a resource<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Calculate the average cost of a meeting. A 2-hour scoping meeting with 6 managers? \u20ac600 minimum. This simple realisation changes behaviour. And allows you to prioritise meetings <em>required<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Introduce an action rule for each meeting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At each meeting, a decision. A deliverable. A dated next step. This creates a dynamic of responsibility. A marketing brief? \u2192 A validated draft. An R&amp;D discussion? \u2192 An open project sheet. A regulatory update? \u2192 A communication plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some go further, like Jef Bezos, by banning power points altogether and starting the meeting by carefully reading a formidably articulate and structured memo... It's up to you to find your own technique, as long as it's geared towards \u00abefficiency\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jeff Bezos: 3 Rules to Having an Efficient Meeting | Inc.\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BRI9AGSq-kE?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Reallocate this time to operations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let's take an example: an SME in the ingredients sector which organises an average of 4 meetings a week for 5 people. By halving this number, it frees up the equivalent of 20 hours a week, as we saw above. This represents, give or take a few euros, depending on your strategic choices :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2 SEO feature articles\/month<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or 1 customer webinar per quarter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or 1 personalised sales aid<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or 1 targeted B2B email campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or 1 social ads campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>or 3 R&amp;D POCs initiated with strategic partners<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In a fast-moving world, agile players win the day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The functional ingredients market is undergoing radical change, with the rise of plant proteins, increased demands for transparency, the need for clinical proof and the promotion of health claims. In this context, agility is becoming a decisive competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That doesn't mean going fast for the sake of going fast. But <strong>dare to decide<\/strong>. <strong>Dare to test<\/strong>. <strong>Daring to communicate<\/strong>, Even if everything is not yet perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The companies that come out on top are not those with the biggest budgets. They are the ones that know how to activate their ideas with fluidity. Launching a campaign, running a pilot with a customer, co-developing content with an expert, feeding their digital presence on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: fewer rounds, more action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At a time when every euro counts and every quarter reshuffles the deck, it's time to look at meetings for what they are: <strong>investments<\/strong>. And as such, they deserve to be managed like any other precious resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, the next time you add a meeting to the agenda, ask yourself: <strong>what are we really going to produce?<\/strong> What if the team's energy could be better invested in concrete, engaging and visible action?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you feel that your projects are stagnating despite frequent meetings?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Why don't we take a look together at your marketing initiatives and strategic priorities?<br><strong>Let's talk about it. A real conversation, with decisions to follow.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-534","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}