We need more scrums and less meetings. A scrum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-up_meeting) is a 5-10 minute stand-up meeting. About 80% of the meetings I’ve ever attended have included at least five people. Any meeting over three becomes a presentation while one bloviates and others wander.
It’s been a while since my last scrum. It included seven people, complete participation, no dominance, one referee, and was contained within a 10 minute package. Rather than walking away in a typical post-meeting cloud of confusion, I left the scrum feeling clear and informed. It was the best mode of collaborative communication I’ve been a part of. Again, I say more scrums, less meetings.