Billionaire Mark Cuban Slams Meetings As Productivity Killers

The Dallas Mavericks owner emphasizes the negative impact of excessive meetings on work efficiency.

July 25, 2023 2 min read

Billionaire Mark Cuban Slams Meetings As Productivity Killers

(L-R) Steven Starker, Mark Cuban and CNBC correspondent Bob Pisani attend BTIG's 15th Commissions for Charity Day at BTIG in 2017 in New York City. During a recent CNBC interview, Cuban expressed that people over-meet and over-call. adding that It kills so much time.OWEN HOFFMANN/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES.

Mark Cuban, the billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, leads a multifaceted life. As a “Shark Tank” star, he has successfully established and invested in numerous lucrative companies.

While expanding his empire, Cuban underscores that meetings are the primary workplace practice that negatively impacts individuals’ productivity and consumes their precious time, according to CNBC’s Make It.

During an interview on the streaming platform Fireside, Cuban expressed that people “over-meet and over-call.” He added, “It kills so much time.”

“I try to only do meetings if I have to come to a conclusion or there’s no other way — same with phone calls,” said Cuban during the interview.

Cuban has expressed his strong belief in having control over his own time, which he considers one of the driving factors behind his pursuit of success. He perceives meetings as a hindrance to managing his schedule effectively.

Mark Cuban and Daymond John speak onstage at the Tribeca Talks Panel: 10 Years Of “Shark Tank” during the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival at Spring Studios in 2018 in New York City. While expanding his empire, Cuban underscores that meetings are the primary workplace practice that negatively impacts individuals’ productivity and consumes their precious time. DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES.

He asserts that many meetings are derailed by inconsequential chatter such as “Who got the donuts?” and “How are the kids?” rather than focusing on a productive agenda.

Cuban has been a critic of meetings for a long time. He said that during the early stages of his career, if he had to conduct a meeting, he would remove all the chairs from the conference room, ensuring that everyone in attendance had to stand.

“It’s amazing how quickly meetings get over with if no one has a chair or someplace to sit,” said Cuban.

Cuban mentioned that the no-chair policy didn’t become a permanent practice. He speculated that he might not have been “established enough to get away with it” during that phase of his career.

Cuban favors addressing business issues through email. He stated, “I can respond to those in the middle of the night. Or I can respond to those on my schedule as opposed to have to arrange everything around other people.”

Produced in association with Benzinga

Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager