For most of us, meetings are a part of everyday life at work. We meet to discuss projects, provide updates, and share information. It’s not something that most people enjoy. (Have you ever met someone who loved going to meetings? Me neither.) But they’re seen as a necessary evil. We hold meetings because they’re necessary… or are they?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is not a fan of meetings. He believes that they can often be a waste of time. So to ensure that the meetings that he attends are productive and worthwhile, he follows three guidelines:

  • He only meets with Amazon investors for six hours a year.
  • He avoids early morning meetings.
  • He practices the “two pizza rule.”

The two pizza rule, unfortunately, does not involve ordering and eating pizza at every meeting. (Darn it!) It means that meetings should include no more than the number of people who could be fed by two pizzas. (So I guess that means that meetings should include no more than four to six people? I’m not entirely sure. I, personally, can eat a lot of pizza.)

Meetings with a small number of attendees usually run more quickly and smoothly. It’s easier to stay on topic and avoid confusion. And they’re less disruptive. Since only a few key people need to be there, everyone else can remain in their offices and get work done.

Meetings can be tiring, distracting, frustrating, and unproductive. There are a lot of things that can be done to make them more effective. But the two pizza rule seems like a good place to start.

 

Connley, C. (2018, April 30). Jeff Bezos’ ‘two pizza rule’ can help you hold more productive meetings. CNBC. Retrieved from: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/30/jeff-bezos-2-pizza-rule-can-help-you-hold-more-productive-meetings.html