Sometimes I don't think people realise that you are only wasting time if it reduces overall productivity. If a meeting is boring and is keeping you from your work but the project achieves more, quicker then the meeting was worthwhile. No matter how painfully wasteful it might have seemed.

The same can be said with personal phone calls. I have worked with people who have had an issue to deal with but as they weren't allowed to make a call they sat there attempting to work but making no progress instead of making the 5-10 minute call(s) and then being relaxed enough to move on and concentrate on the work at hand.

As for requiring headphones in a noisy office, I have been known to flaunt no headphone policies and have yet to be challenged.