Most people don't know how much time they're spending in meetings. They know they have too many, but they don't know exactly how many, or how much it's costing them.
The meeting audit reveals the truth.
How to Run a Meeting Audit
Step 1: Export your calendar for the last 4 weeks
Most calendars let you export to CSV. Do it. You're going to need the data.
Step 2: Count meeting hours
Separate recurring meetings from one-off meetings. For recurring meetings, multiply by 4 (for the month). For one-offs, count them directly.
Step 3: Calculate the cost
For each meeting, multiply the duration by the number of attendees and their average hourly rate. You don't need exact numbers — rough estimates work.
A 1-hour meeting with 5 people at $100/hour average is $500 per meeting. If you have that meeting weekly, it's $2,000/month.
Step 4: Find the waste
Look for patterns:
- Meetings that could have been emails
- Recurring meetings that nobody prepped for
- Meetings where half the people didn't need to be there
- Double-booked meetings that overlap
What You'll Find
Most people are shocked by the numbers. They thought they were spending 5-6 hours per week in meetings. The audit reveals 10-15 hours.
That's not a meeting problem. That's a productivity emergency.
What to Do With the Results
Once you have the numbers, the conversation changes. "We have too many meetings" becomes "we're spending $8,000/month on meetings that could have been emails."
Specific numbers drive specific action.
The Audit Template
| Meeting | Frequency | Duration | Attendees | Cost/Instance | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly team sync | 4x/month | 60 min | 6 | $600 | $2,400 |
| Daily standup | 20x/month | 15 min | 5 | $125 | $2,500 |
Track your recurring meetings. Calculate the monthly cost. Then ask: is this meeting worth its cost?
Start Today
Export your calendar. Run the numbers. You'll find hours you didn't know you were losing.
The meeting audit is the first step to taking your time back.
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