A meeting has three agenda items.

The first involves a major strategic decision. It is complicated, so the group spends five minutes on it.

The second involves a minor procedural change. Everyone understands it, so the discussion lasts forty-five minutes.

This is Parkinson’s Law of Triviality:

Groups often spend the most time on the least important issues.

People participate more confidently when a topic is familiar and easy to understand.

Complicated issues create uncertainty, so discussion stays brief or vague. Simple issues invite opinions from everyone.

Meeting time does not automatically follow importance.

Sometimes the longest discussion on the agenda is simply the one requiring the least expertise.