Meetings Are Costing Millions

Your Meetings Are Costing Millions, First Edition. By David Rollason. This book is about time, clarity, and the quiet cost of routine. Many organisations believe their meetings are necessary, collaborative, and practical. They see them as a sign of coordination and shared commitment. Yet a significant portion of organisational drag, delay, frustration, and wasted effort originates in the meeting room. Not because meetings are inherently ineffective, but because most organisations use them as a substitute for clarity, ownership, and trust. Meetings have become the default response to uncertainty. When people are unsure of priorities, they meet. When decisions are unclear, they meet. When progress slows, they meet. Over time, meetings become the operating rhythm, not to advance work, but to explain it. This creates a culture where talking replaces doing, presence replaces judgement, and effort is measured by attendance rather than outcomes. The organisation becomes busy, but not productive. This book is written for leaders who want something different. It is written for those who recognise that their organisation is capable of more, but feels slowed by conversation, confusion, or indecision. It is written for those who want to strengthen capability, increase momentum, and build a workplace where people act with confidence rather than wait for permission. The goal is not to eliminate meetings. The goal is to reshape how work happens. When organisations are structured clearly, when decision-making is understood, when information flows predictably, and when people trust themselves and each other, meetings become occasional and purposeful. The organisation moves with steadiness rather than pressure. Work feels lighter, cleaner, and more focused. The practices in this book are simple. They do not require new software or complex restructuring. They require discipline, clarity, and consistency. They require shifting from habit to intention. The impact of that shift is not subtle. When meetings reduce, time returns. When time returns, thinking improves. When thinking improves, results accelerate. A meeting is expensive. It costs money, attention, momentum, and trust. When used well, it is a powerful tool. When used poorly, it is one of the most costly patterns in organisational life. The question is not whether you have meetings. The question is whether they create value that exceeds their cost. This book will help you create an organisation where the answer is yes.