Is Another Meeting Really Necessary?

  • Posted by Pete
  • February 22, 2007

meetings.jpg

Let’s face it Boss/Manager/Leader, your time is valuable … and so is that of your staff.

Before you go dragging busy people into another team meeting, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is there actually a more effective delivery system for the information I want to pass on?
  • Is there too much talk and not enough action in my department or office? How’s another meeting going to drive more action?
  • Am I imposing an artificial “unity” on them when I could more productively feed their natural abilities and natural relational tendencies?
  • What’s more likely to foster my team’s ownership of the business’s goals? A ra-ra motivational meeting? Or consistent demonstration of where the employee’s goals are met by reaching the organisation’s goals?
  • Is this the best use of MY time?

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February 22nd, 2007
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
mat
Posted on:
February 25, 2007 at 5:28 pm

Hi Pete

I have a new blog - matnewton.com

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Markk
Posted on:
February 26, 2007 at 7:20 pm

Mat also has something to say about what you posted - and he’ll do so Real Soon Now.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Markk
Posted on:
February 26, 2007 at 7:25 pm

Meeting Pet Hates:

1. Meetings that go on forever because the chairperson doesn’t know how to keep things on track
2. Meetings that never end because new issues pop up and it never occurs to said chairperson that perhaps that is enough for today and we can deal with new issues some other time
3. Meetings without coffee available - at least with coffee you can appear attentive

A certain person keeps popping into my head as I type this - but he shall not be named …

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
mat
Posted on:
February 26, 2007 at 8:15 pm

4. Meetings where a 5 second decision that would easily get majority agreement turns into an eternal discussion on why certain people agree.

One meeting I was at (Liberals) this guy was pushing this minor resolution in a committee meeting. He called us all before-hand to get our support. We were all ready to vote on it yes without arguments for and against, but this dude went off on a 10 minute speech. Very annoying, and very tempting to vote no for the sake of it. Itpassed unanimously.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Pete
Posted on:
February 27, 2007 at 12:15 pm

Mat, I think there are clones of that guy in every organisation out there. Any opportunity to set up a soapbox and get up on it - and they’re there. These are the people who love meetings and make meetings even more painful for people who hate meetings. [Did I just say the word meetings too many times in one sentence?]

It’s up to the people chairing to balance the purpose of the meeting (ie., the organisational goals being met by having it) with the needs of the attendees (e.g. coffee as Mark said, having better use for their time elsewhere, etc).

Also, Mat I like the flavour and topics of the new blog.

Markk, I hear ya on all 3!