Meetings are a waste of time. Right?

You’ve heard it before, you’ve probably said it yourself: Why are we even having this meeting?

Especially when your work is deeply technical and requires focus, meetings can feel like the most infuriating interruptions. According to a recent survey, 92% of workers admit to multitasking during virtual meetings (Doodle, 2019). That’s almost all of us! But what if with the right mindset, you could make meetings so efficient that they’re rarely needed?

Let's be honest. We don’t hate meetings because we hate collaborating. We hate them because they’re often inefficient, repetitive, or lacking in clear directives or outcomes. But there's a fix for that, and it starts with a fundamental skill: CQ Active Listening.

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Low CQ in Practice

Picture this: a virtual Teams call. The person leading? Off camera, in a train station and barking instructions, some of which are barely audible. Not one of the participants speaks up, not a single, “We can’t hear you”. Everyone’s just banking on the recording, but spoiler: AI isn’t a magician - if the human can’t hear, neither can the tech. This drags on for a good 45 minutes until the organizer gets cut off going through a tunnel, ending with a classic, “Let's meet again tomorrow to discuss this”. Peak Low CQ, peak waste of time.

High CQ in Practice

Now, compare: everyone’s cameras are on, and using Copilot, the agenda was distributed ahead of time, is visible, and estimates that the call won’t take more than 18 minutes. All appear engaged and focused. Two people raise virtual hands to ask for clarification on relevant actions. Four others drop their focus points in the chat. Three provide a thumbs-up, confirming they know their next steps. Everyone says thanks. Meeting wrapped in 7.5 minutes. This is how you nail efficiency with High CQ.

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When we listen with focus, we retain up to 70% more information.

_{Brown, 2022}

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The secret to fewer meetings? Listen like a pro and learn to ask smart questions

High CQ stems from - you guessed it - Active Listening. It might sound like a fluffy term, but for high-performing teams, it’s a technical advantage, and we all need a frequent tune up. It’s about absorbing, processing, and responding in ways that move the conversation forward quickly and decisively. Sure, being an Active Listener takes time to master. But when everyone does it, we can cut through the noise, solve problems faster and smarter, and, best of all, avoid follow-ups.

Here’s why it works: when we listen with focus, we retain up to 70% more information (Brown, 2022). Imagine if, by the end of one meeting, you’ve got everything you need to execute without scheduling another one. That's real efficiency.

Where ‘efficiency’ and ‘listening’ go hand in hand, so do ‘efficiency’ and ‘tech’. So how exactly do we blend the speed and precision of Copilot with the empathy and understanding of CQ for the ultimate results?

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Master the tools to shorten (or skip) the meeting

You already know that Microsoft Teams isn’t just a platform for video calls - it’s a productivity powerhouse. Leverage both CQ and Copilot and transform 30-minute check-ins into concise, strategic interactions so that your team can operate at the speed of thought.
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• You’re already using Copilot to do the grunt work, analyzing discussions, auto-summarizing key points and suggesting follow-ups. Now try cross-referencing your calls with project documentation, financial reports or CRM data. Let’s say you’re preparing a product timeline. Copilot can check historical data to offer predictive insights on potential delays or bottlenecks. You’re then engaging in a continuous loop of action-driven conversation fueled by real-time data analysis, leaving no need for another round of "just to clarify".

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• You’re also likely using Whiteboard for visual brainstorming - apt, since we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text (Gonzales, 2021). Pair it with Copilot and you unlock a whole new level of strategic planning. Let's say you’re working through a complex process flow for a product launch. Ask Copilot to auto-generate templates, reference diagrams, or even suggest alternative workflows based on similar project outcomes. Eliminate tiresomely long verbal explanations and bring data-backed visuals into your decision-making to boot.

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Here’s a tip: Remember old fashioned, human listening? Let the AI handle the data while you focus on listening with intent - absorbing context, nuances, and emotional undercurrents.