No Meeting Day: A Focus on Deep Work and Well-being

Life at Sodexo Innovation Workplace Experience
Oct. 28, 2024

Very few people love work meetings, and yet they seem to be becoming more and more common. When they fill up the working day, they can leave little room for focus, or actual work. To tackle this challenge, Sodexo APMEA has introduced No Meeting Day (NMD), giving employees the chance to dedicate uninterrupted time to their most important work.

This monthly initiative helps teams set aside a day free of internal meetings, allowing everyone to focus on their core role and dedicate some time to strategic thinking.

What Is No Meeting Day?

On the third Thursday of each month, everyone in the Sodexo APMEA region offices takes part in No Meeting Day. It’s a day reserved for deep work, enabling everyone to focus on projects without interruptions. External meetings with clients, emergency situations, and critical collaborations are still permitted, but the goal is to minimize routine internal meetings.

This initiative recognizes that the opportunity to focus without distractions from constant meetings can have a big impact on how we work. Whether it’s catching up on a to-do list or getting your teeth into a complex project, NMD gives employees the space to work more effectively.

The Science Behind It

A growing body of research supports the idea that cutting down on meetings and distractions leads to better work. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, known for his research on "flow," (a state of focus and concentration) found that people are at their most productive when they have extended periods to focus on a single task. Likewise, Cal Newport’s work on deep work found that removing distractions like meetings can dramatically increase output.

Research also shows that constant task-switching can deplete mental energy. No Meeting Day helps prevent this by providing a day where employees can fully concentrate on their tasks, leading to more meaningful work and less mental fatigue.

The Benefits of No Meeting Day

Boosting Employee Well-being Constant meetings can lead to fatigue, stress, and burnout. Without the pressure of a packed schedule, employees are better able to manage their energy levels and concentrate on what truly matters. Freeing up time for uninterrupted work via initiatives like NMD provides a refreshing break from the usual pace of back-to-back meetings.
Increasing Productivity When employees can work for longer stretches without interruptions, they can get into a "flow" state, where they’re more focused and productive. The absence of meetings creates space for these flow states, leading to better quality work and faster progress on complex tasks.

Encouraging Better Meeting Practices No Meeting Day gives employees a reason to rethink the necessity of every meeting. It prompts teams to plan more intentionally, ensuring that future meetings are concise, purposeful, and held only when truly needed.

What No Meeting Day Is Not

It’s important to clarify that No Meeting Day doesn’t mean no work. It’s about shifting focus, not switching off. The intention is to reduce internal meetings, not to halt business altogether. Client meetings, urgent matters, and important collaborations still happen, but the day is designed to make space for deeper thinking and more concentrated effort.

It’s also not about simply getting around it by cramming more meetings into the other days of the week to make up for NMD. The idea is to spread meetings thoughtfully across the month, ensuring that each one adds value and doesn’t become a roadblock to progress.

Addressing Concerns

Some employees might worry that skipping meetings for a day will make it harder to keep up. But No Meeting Day is designed with flexibility in mind. Urgent or external meetings can still take place, and teams are encouraged to plan ahead, ensuring that no critical conversations are missed.

Another concern is that collaboration could suffer without regular meetings. In reality, NMD helps teams collaborate more effectively by encouraging more intentional communication. Meetings that do take place are often shorter and more focused because everyone is prepared and working towards clear goals.

Finally, there’s the question of whether it works for every team. While some roles may need to stay more connected for operational reasons, No Meeting Day can still be adapted. For teams that rely on continuous communication, the day can be a chance to manage tasks differently and find the right balance between meetings and individual work.

How Sodexo APMEA Is Making It Work

Sodexo APMEA’s leadership team is committed to making No Meeting Day part of the company’s culture. By leading from the front, managers and executives are refraining from scheduling internal meetings on this day and encouraging their teams to do the same.

Employees are also being supported with tools and strategies to make the most of the day. Whether it’s using time management techniques or setting clear goals for uninterrupted work, teams are being guided to maximize the benefits of No Meeting Day.

Wrap up

No Meeting Day is about creating the space needed for meaningful work. By giving employees the time to focus on important tasks without the distraction of meetings, Sodexo APMEA is aiming to help its teams be more productive and more fulfilled in their roles. It’s a small change that could lead to big results.

If you're considering a similar initiative, start by taking a closer look at your meeting culture. No Meeting Day could be the first step towards a more productive, more engaged workforce.