Let’s be real: nothing triggers existential dread quite like a recurring calendar invite for a meeting that should’ve been an email.

You show up, coffee in hand, fake-nodding through updates that could’ve been bullet points. Meanwhile, your actual to-do list is multiplying faster than office small talk.

Welcome to the wild world of corporate time-wasting, where productivity is performative, and career red flags are often hiding in plain sight.

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and wondered, “What am I doing with my life?”—this post is for you.

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The Cult of the Meeting: When Talking Replaces Doing

Corporate culture loves meetings. It doesn’t matter if nothing gets done. As long as we talk about getting things done, that counts, right? Wrong.

Meetings, in theory, should align teams, spark ideas, and move projects forward. In practice? They often stall progress, confuse everyone, and drain your soul.

Red Flag #1: Meetings With No Agenda

If you’re expected to show up to a meeting with zero context, no goal, and no action points—run. That’s not collaboration. That’s chaos disguised as leadership.

A healthy workplace respects your time. It values clarity over buzzwords. If your boss regularly hosts meetings that feel like open mic night for middle managers, take note. You’re not growing; you’re just performing busyness.

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The “Visibility” Trap: Performing Productivity for the Sake of Optics

Ever notice how certain people seem to be in every meeting, respond to every email within three seconds, and always have Slack open? That’s not dedication—that’s survival in a culture where visibility is valued more than output.

Red Flag #2: You’re Rewarded for Being Seen, Not for Results

If promotions go to the loudest voice instead of the most effective one, you’re not in a meritocracy. You’re in a theatre production.

True productivity doesn’t always look flashy. It looks like focused work, deep thinking, and clear results—not back-to-back Zoom calls and instant replies to every non-urgent request.

Micro-Management Disguised as “Support”

Let’s talk about the manager who wants hourly updates. The one who needs to be CC’d on every email. The one who turns feedback sessions into power plays.

Red Flag #3: No Autonomy, Just Oversight

If you’re constantly being monitored, corrected, or second-guessed, you’re not being supported—you’re being micromanaged. And that kills morale faster than any passive-aggressive email ever could.

A good leader trusts their team. A bad one tries to control it to the point of dysfunction. If you can’t make a decision without five layers of approval, you’re not in a job—you’re in a bureaucracy.

Emotional Labour Disguised as Team Spirit

Let’s not forget the invisible work: smoothing egos, calming conflicts, being the office therapist. Especially for women, this emotional labour often goes unnoticed, uncompensated, and completely expected.

Red Flag #4: You’re the Emotional Dumping Ground

If you find yourself playing peacekeeper more than strategist, or therapist more than project manager, it’s a sign the culture is broken. And if leadership leans on you to “keep the team happy” while ignoring systemic problems, it’s time to set boundaries—or bounce.

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Buzzword Overload: Innovation Without Substance

“Synergy.” “Disruption.” “Moving the needle.” If your job is starting to sound like a parody of itself, it’s probably because your company is focused more on sounding good than doing good work.

Red Flag #5: Style Over Substance

When every project becomes a rebrand and every idea needs a pitch deck, ask yourself: Are we solving problems, or just dressing them up?

Innovation isn’t about having a ping-pong table or renaming meetings to “syncs.” It’s about empowering teams to do meaningful work without unnecessary fluff.

The 24/7 Hustle Culture

You were told to “treat your job like your own business.” Translation: never switch off, answer emails at midnight, and feel guilty for taking leave.

Red Flag #6: No Work-Life Boundaries

If burnout is treated like a badge of honor and rest is seen as weakness, you’re in a toxic system. Your job should support your life—not become it.

A healthy workplace encourages boundaries, respects personal time, and doesn’t expect you to always be “on.” If that sounds like a fantasy where you work, it’s not you—it’s them.

The Disappearing Path to Growth

You’re doing the work. You’re hitting the metrics. You’re getting great feedback. And yet—you’re stuck. Promotions keep getting delayed. Raises are “under review.” Leadership says, “Just be patient.”

Red Flag #7: No Clear Path Forward

If your company can’t (or won’t) map out your growth, they’re not invested in you. And if you’re constantly “earning your place” but never moving up, it’s not a career. It’s a dead-end.

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Final Thoughts: You’re Not Crazy, You’re Just Seeing Clearly

When you start noticing the patterns—the meetings that drain more than they contribute, the performative productivity, the hollow promises of growth—you might feel jaded. Or angry. Or just plain tired.

That’s not failure. That’s clarity.

If you’re asking yourself, “Is this really it?”—you’re not ungrateful. You’re awake.

A job should offer more than a paycheck and perks. It should give purpose, growth, and at the very least, respect for your time.

So next time you get that calendar invite for a meeting with no agenda and zero purpose? You have options. Ask for clarity. Suggest an email. Or maybe, just maybe, don’t accept that this is normal.

You deserve better. And deep down, you already know that.

Read more about professional and workplace wellness here.