A Public Service Announcement
Any time somebody calls a meeting, and then tells you that there's no agenda, be afraid. No good can come of such a meeting. If at all possible, skip the meeting. Get up and walk out if you have to. If you can't avoid the meeting, insist that on having an agenda.
Even if the point of the meeting is free-form brainstorming where anybody can say anything they like, you can still have an agenda. For example:
Brainstorming Meeting - Thursday, 10:30 AM
Agenda: "free-form brainstorming where anybody can say anything they want".
And here's another piece of advice: If you're the one calling the meeting, you're the one who needs to start things off by saying what's on your mind. Asking the attendees to start talking, before you've even given them the discussion topic, is just plain wrong.
Also: If you need to have a discussion with your supervisors and peers, have that discussion with your supervisors and peers. Do NOT call a meeting with your subordinates, and have that discussion with us. We don't care. Even if we did care, we have nothing to contribute to the discussion, because we're not in a position to address any of the issues raised. So you end up having your half of the discussion, while the rest of us sit around wondering why we're here.
And before calling a meeting, please consider very carefully whether the information or request you have in mind can't be better communicated via email. (Hint: It can.)
Finally, if the meeting agenda is to encourage the other attendees to brainstorm creative solutions to vexing problems, you should probably not do most of the talking. You should definitely not cut people off any time they start to speak.
If you fail on any one of these points, I'm suspicious already. If you fail on all of these points, I'm forced to conclude that you're a tiny party hat for my behind, and it's not worth my valuable explosion time to work for you.
Coming Attractions: An explanation of the terms "tiny party hat for my behind" and "valuable explosion time".
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Ah - that is so cute! The first rule of meeting club is to realize there is no reason for meetings. Most of them are just called so managers can sniff each others asses and leave scent markings.
ReplyDeleteI hear that!
ReplyDeleteCan't stand meetings, myself.
The worst is when an otherwise sane and competent teammate buys into the whole Meeting Myth, and starts speaking up in meetings.
You're all like, "don't gaze into its eyes, Joe!" but it's too late. He's got the bug. And now you're going to be late for lunch.