Sun Tzu on the cost of mobilizing people
“In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front… will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day.”
Sun Tzu reminds us that in war, and in business, resources are finite. Every decision comes at a cost. Nowhere is this more evident than in how we spend our time.
Meetings are one of the most significant yet most overlooked costs in a small business. Handled poorly, they drain money, energy, and focus. Handled well, they align your team, spark creativity, and drive results.
You call a one-hour meeting with five employees. At an average hourly wage of $25, that meeting costs $125 in payroll alone. Over a year, weekly meetings add up to $6,500. But what about the opportunity cost? What could those five hours every week have accomplished spent on tasks that directly improve customer service, solve problems, or drive sales?
Meetings aren’t inherently bad. They’re necessary. To make them worth the cost, they have to be intentional, focused, and productive.
Every meeting comes at a price
Meetings aren’t free. Beyond wages, they consume energy, morale, and focus. Poorly run meetings waste more than time. They leave the team feeling frustrated and unproductive.
Financial cost. The direct payroll expense for attendees. Even a thirty-minute meeting with ten participants can cost hundreds of dollars.
Opportunity cost. Every hour spent in an unnecessary meeting is an hour not spent on revenue, problems, or customer experience.
Energy cost. Unfocused or irrelevant meetings drain team morale and creativity. People leave less motivated to tackle their work.
A café I know was running an hour-long weekly all-staff meeting that mostly covered updates that could have been an email. Employees left frustrated. Tasks piled up. When the owner switched to email updates and reserved meetings for collaboration and problem-solving, the team saved over twenty hours a month. That time was reinvested into streamlining service, which directly improved customer satisfaction.
Look at your meeting schedule for the past month. How many hours did your team spend in meetings? Were all of them necessary? Identify one or two you can eliminate or replace with email.
When to meet and when to email
Not every issue requires a meeting. The simplest way to reclaim time is to be intentional about when you gather and when you don’t.
Sun Tzu wrote, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” The same applies to meetings. Knowing when they’re essential and when they’re not is a strategic advantage.
Before scheduling a meeting:
What’s the purpose? Sharing updates, brainstorming, solving a problem, making a decision? If it’s just information, email or a shared document is more efficient.
Who needs to be involved? If the issue affects only one or two people, handle it with a quick one-on-one. Keep meetings small and focused.
Is it time-sensitive? If something requires immediate alignment, a short meeting may save time compared to a long email thread.
Use email or shared documents for non-urgent updates, data sharing, follow-ups. Use one-on-ones for delegating-done-right/) tasks, addressing performance issues, coaching. Use team meetings for brainstorming, decisions requiring multiple perspectives, strategic alignment.
Email isn’t always the right tool. Complex issues can spiral into confusion when nuance requires back-and-forth. Tone and meaning are easy to misinterpret, especially when the topic is emotionally charged. Negativity bias — the tendency to assume the worst — can turn a neutral message into a perceived slight.
A manager I know tried to address staff concerns about a new scheduling system through email. The message was misinterpreted. Frustration and resistance built up. Realizing the mistake, the manager called a short meeting to explain the changes face-to-face. Seeing the tone and hearing the reasoning helped the team understand and engage.
If tone or emotion could be misunderstood, do it face-to-face. Or record a video message. Video can be especially helpful for async teams or virtual assistants in different time zones.
For the next month, evaluate every meeting you schedule. Can it be handled through email, a shared document, or a one-on-one? Track how much time you save.
Make every meeting count
Some meetings are essential. They have to be planned with purpose. Your meeting structure should line up with the goals and the team’s needs.
Set clear objectives. Define what you want to achieve. Brainstorming. Problem-solving. Strategic alignment. Share the purpose and agenda in advance.
Invite the right people. Keep the group small. Only invite those who genuinely need to participate.
Assign roles. A facilitator to guide. A timekeeper to manage pacing. A note-taker to capture action items.
Stay flexible when needed. For brainstorming or creative problem-solving, a rigid agenda can stifle progress. Be prepared to adjust.
End with action. Summarize decisions. Assign tasks. Set deadlines before the meeting ends.
An inn I know runs weekly tactical meetings on a clear agenda, but the owner allows discussions to flow naturally during brainstorming sessions. The balance of structure and flexibility helps the team solve problems effectively while keeping meetings productive.
Experiment with these guidelines in your next meeting. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what to change.
When a meeting adds real value
Meetings are worth the investment when they foster relationships, provide clarity on complex initiatives, or solve problems through live brainstorming and group input.
A bookstore I know held a half-day strategy session for a Local Author Festival. The session generated themed readings and partnerships with local businesses. The team came out of it energized. The festival became one of the store’s most successful events.
Turn meetings into results
A meeting is usually only successful if it leads to action.
Document decisions. Summarize key takeaways and share them immediately.
Assign ownership. Delegate tasks. Set deadlines. Define expectations.
Follow up. Track progress in future meetings or one-on-one check-ins.
At the end of your next meeting, create a shared document listing action items, deadlines, and responsibilities. Review it weekly.
Build a culture of helpful meetings
When meetings are intentional, they respect your team’s time and energy. They become tools for progress, not roadblocks.
Audit your meeting schedule. Eliminate the unnecessary ones. Experiment with one of these frameworks. Ask your team how meetings can better support their work.
With intention and structure, meetings can energize your business instead of holding it back.
About the Author
Ron Tester is a physical therapist with thirty years in the field. He built, grew, and operated a multidisciplinary home health company employing PTs, OTs, and SLPs through a successful exit. He now coaches outpatient PT, OT, and SLP clinic owners on operating at the owner level. Certified Executive Coach and Book Yourself® Solid Coach. Learn more at https://rontestercoaching.com/about.