Google's 50-Minute Meeting Policy Sparks Malicious Compliance Craze
Summary
In 2011, Larry Page became Google's CEO and tried to enforce meeting policies like 50-minute time slots, but employees maliciously complied by booking available 10-minute slots, causing meeting disruptions and showcasing the futility of rigid rules without buy-in.
Key Points
- Larry Page tried to fix inefficient meetings at Google by implementing rules like capping meetings at 10 people and making hour-long meetings only 50 minutes
- A team in the NYC office started booking the last 10 minutes of every hour in meeting rooms, as those slots were left open due to the 50-minute meeting rule
- People would show up to claim the room for their 10-minute standup, causing frustration for those who had booked the room for a longer meeting