social loafing

Keep the meeting as small as possible. No more than seven people. Of course, there is no magic number. Though… “there is evidence to suggest that keeping the meeting small is beneficial,” says [Francesca] Gino, [a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan]… If you want people to have the opportunity to contribute, you need to limit attendance. [Paul] Axtell [who has worked for 35 years as a personal effectiveness consultant and wrote Meetings Matter: 8 Powerful Strategies for Remarkable Conversations] says that in his experience limiting it to four or five people is the only way to make sure everyone has the chance to talk in a 60-minute meeting. 

The challenge with large meetings isn’t just that everyone won’t have a chance to talk, but many of them won’t feel the need to. “When many hands are available, people work less hard than they ought to,” explains Gino. “Social psychology research has shown that when people perform group tasks (such as brainstorming or discussing information in a meeting), they show a sizable decrease in individual effort than when they perform alone.” This is known as “social loafing” and tends to get worse as the size of the group increases.

Amy Gallo

“The Condensed Guide to Running Meetings,” Harvard Business Review. July 6, 2015 as quoted in HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter. Harvard Business Review Press. 2016.