As digital telecommunications tools like video conferencing, team productivity managers, and email continue to proliferate in every aspect of our professional lives, it would stand to reason that the need for in-person meetings would be declining. Counterintuitively, that doesn’t seem to be the case. If anything, the rise of digital tools has created the need for more meetings. According to recent research, business leaders are overwhelmed with meetings and calls—many report at least 40 percent of their time is spent in this way, and many report much more time is spent meeting with others. This isn’t suggesting this is all a big waste of time. Meetings aren’t inherently bad—they help us build empathy, foster face-to-face communications skills, and engage our attention in ways we’re not used to. However, they are only beneficial when they are well thought through. What needs to be discussed? What are the goals? Who needs to be there? Is a meeting really the best way to communicate this information, or is a better option available? If these questions aren’t answered, the meeting might not be necessary.