There's a good reason the saying "too many meetings" has become an expression of workplace culture. Productivity suffers when the purpose of communication becomes misaligned with the proliferation of meeting requests. The digital workplace has turned meetings into the default option for dealing with workplace uncertainty, often mistaken for progress when in truth they achieve very little.

The proliferation of the Microsoft office suite, in particular Teams and Outlook, has enabled what has come to be known as "calendar creep". It has become so easy to schedule back to back 50 minute windows of someone else's time that many have stopped thinking about the negative impact constant or unannounced interrupts have on someone else's ability to do "deep work". The workplace has become so hostile to knowledge workers that many have become resigned to accepting that they will have to work longer hours to complete their tasks, because constant meeting interruptions have left them unprepared to do their job.

Also, most meetings lack structural hygiene. Many are scheduled with no agenda, goals, or facilitators. As a result, most meeting time is wasted with the facilitator conducting status update flame wars that could have been sent in an email, or with the meeting devolving into a brain storm in which the facilitator losses control to the loudest people in the meeting, and no decisions are made.

This is not a complaint about interaction. This is a complaint about time being wasted. People in professions focused on results think about time as a valuable resource. Empty collaboration makes people think that time is being wasted, and that work is not being done. This is especially true because most people believe that an empty schedule means that a person is working, not that a person is taking a break. Until most companies change how they think about time, the "this could have been an email" will continue to be the most common workplace phrase.

Windowsill Herb Garden Starter Kit

Bring the farmer's market to your kitchen with our Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit! Now you can have fresh herbs all year long! No green thumb? No problem!

This kit includes six reusable ceramic planters, organic seed packets of basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, thyme, and chives, coconut coir growing pucks, and a moisture-wicking capillary mat. You'll also receive a growing guide that will take you through the entire process of growing herbs.

This kit is designed to fit in small spaces and fits perfectly on a windowsill, kitchen counter, or anywhere there is a near by light source. You will see sprouts in a few days and in a few weeks you will be able to harvest your own herbs! Stores herbs don't even come close to comparing to herbs that you grow yourself!

This kit is a great gift for home cooks and anyone who wants to minimize their trips to the grocery store. The planters are good quality and add aesthetic appeal to your kitchen even after you gift the herb garden!

You will be amazed at how much you can enjoy cooking again with the addition of fresh herbs!