Meetings are Bad For You 283
19061969 writes "Though this is obvious to most of us, your PHB's might benefit from knowing that meetings are bad for you. Two psychologists have found evidence that the number of and the time spent in meetings has a detrimental effect on mood. "...a general relationship between meeting load and the employee's level of fatigue and subjective workload was found", write the authors after conducting a diary study. Perhaps we should be more understanding with our moody bosses?"
reminds me of a story... (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't just sit there, do something! (Score:5, Interesting)
The biggest problem, in his opinion, was the number of meetings that they had in order to discuss the projects they were working on. Frustration built up among employees due to not having enough time to actually do the work, as well as the number of times that he was interrupted in the middle of doing something productive - simply to go to another pointless meeting.
In his opinion, these meetings caused just as many problems as they tried to solve, and ironically, they would sometimes generate more meetings to discuss how far they were along in meeting their original deadlines.
I would tell you more about it, but I have a meeting to attend.
Objectives. (Score:5, Interesting)
1)Pool expertise from different departments
2)"Gather" authority for cross-department tasks
3)Get feedback and progress reports from different departments
4)Discuss critical issues that require human interaction
5)Criticise new products and techniques from different points of view
6)Brainstorm
When used properly, meetings can be powerful tools... But the ONLY reason I see meetings being used anymore is POLITICS! To palm off responsibility, blame someone else, avoid work, act important, establish power ("I called a meeting because I can"), or just generally be a waste of organizational oxygen. No wonder people hate them... The last thing most techs and researchers want is to get mired in office politics.
A meeting conducted properly is a huge help. It can speed up things and make your goals and objectives a whole lot clearer than they ever were, but unfortunately some people just don't seem to get that.
Things are different in sales (Score:5, Interesting)
I work in sales. The more that I can understand our products, the better of a salesman I can be. I"m not the type of person that will try to make up things because they want products to look good -- instead, I try to be as knowledgeable as I can, because from what I have seen, the more knowledgeable that the buyer sees that I am, the more trusting they are of me, and therefore more willing to buy what I am selling.
I don't spend a large amount of my time in meetings, but at least for me, the meetings that I am a part of, each bit of information that I receive on a product ends up selling at least another few units, so they're great for me.
Alternate meeting form (Score:2, Interesting)
Experience with meetings - waste of f***en time ! (Score:2, Interesting)
These "windbags" think they can impress the higher ups by spewing so mush B.S. My part takes about a minute and then I am out of there ! There are many times I sit listening to these windbags and I would like to say, "get to the point and be done !"
Also in that group, it seems like they liked to have late Friday afternoon meetings which I of course, ignored, unfortunately to my detriment.
Meetings as a way to expedite the project (Score:5, Interesting)
At this meeting was a very old and experienced PhD who knew everything about the project. He regarded the meeting as an opportunity to display his knowledge at length, but had nothing of substance to put forward; after all, it was his design decisions that had caused the mess in the first place. Did I mention he was now a contractor and paid by the hour?
I know nothing about the branch of engineering concerned but I did go and ask the technicians what they thought. They knew the answer perfectly well - the material of a major tubular component was completely underspecified and was leaking gas when the plant got hot. But the PhD refused to accept it.
We didn't exactly draw straws for who would bring it up - but suffice it to say that I ended up with the short one. The result was an hour or so of listening to the worst metallurgical bullshit I have ever endured. But in the end we got our way, the components were replaced, the system started to work, the PhD was let go, (and a year later I was the engineering manager - it seems the MD had been reading the minutes).
Proof if proof were needed that the real reason for meetings is to drive the engineers to the point at which they will risk their jobs and their credibility to find a solution that means they don't have to go to any more meetings.
Re:Experience with meetings - waste of f***en time (Score:2, Interesting)
I worked in a group - developing marketing software for MCI back in the mid-1990's. Our manager decided to order 4 pm meetings everyday especially on Friday. These meetings lasted until 6 or 7 every night. He of course did not show up, his staff people ran the meetings. After attending a few of those meetings, I came to the conclusion they were a waste of time. I quit going to them.
In another place I worked at, we have flex time and I took Friday afternoons off every week. I usually leave by 11 am. One time, an e-mail went out on Thursday afternoon and it mentioned that one of the corporate executives was going to visit. The meeting was scheduled for 3 pm on Friday. On top of that, we have casual Friday. We were told to "dress to impress". I blew off the meeting since I had other plans. The following week, I was called in to my manager's office and read the "riot act" for ignoring the meeting. He mentioned that we must show utmost respect to our executives and attending this meeting was important to this executive. Quite a few people were not at this meeting. It was a waste of time as mentioned by those who attended. It was basically the executive telling about all the good things he was doing for the rank and file workers.
Technology and communications skills (Score:5, Interesting)
But the most important thing is that we keep those calls short, and don't need to use them to convey basic information to each other because we do that all the time using e-mail, IM, and a rich portally-intranet-ish web presence.
But the only thing that really makes those supporting technologies a viable replacement for endless facetime is decent communications skills. Being able to cogently write what's on your mind, provide a usable spreadsheet or document that illuminates the matter at hand... even being able to use IM without it decaying into a meandering social tarpit.. those things require a little bit of practice and discipline. But they buy you productive, asynchronous communication that liberates you to work on your actual job on your own schedule.
In-person meetings are saved for when it really matters: gaining and keeping paying customers. Oh, and free food.
My personal experience (Score:5, Interesting)
I've had three hour meetings where the only conclusion and main focus of the chat was what colour green to place on a website background (the website, incidentally, never got off the ground). And they paid me for that time. Now, I don't mind doing stuff that people are paying me for so long as it's something that I can do (I wouldn't say I could fix something if I couldn't), however I try to avoid all meetings now with those same people because it degenerates into a waste of five or more people's time, money and effort, distracts them from the real work and doesn't actually achieve anything we couldn't do with a poll on a webpage. I could make money from sitting in a room and gabbing nonsense but I consider it a real waste of my own time and talent.
One of the reasons that I won't work 9-5, mon-fri, for someone I don't like is that I can call things what they are if people ask. I've never sucked up to a boss in my life because I've never had one. I've had clients, whom I visit initially to determine their needs and then work for, but I avoid "meetings" at all costs.
Meetings are generally without any sort of focus, any conclusions, any change of opinions. They usually are either explaining things that people don't need to understand ("the network is broke, we're fixing it, it'll take a day and cost us X amount of money" is a perfectly good explanation for someone who's not technically minded), letting people spread responsibility for difficult decisions (or even just a comfort blanket for those same decision-makers) and attempts at micro-managing things that those people just don't understand.
If you have a group of colleagues who are all working on very intertwined things, they will form their own meeting either 1-1 or in small groups. They'll have to, and they'll do it a damn sight better than you organising a meeting for them all to check up with you. If you are managing people whose job you could not do yourself, stay out of their way. Maybe find them once a month or so, just to check that everything's working and that you're aware of any major problems. You hire people into a job to do that job, not to make them spend hours in a meeting explaining things they learned twenty years ago to you because you know nothing about that area.
I find that nonsensical meetings only come about through management. Managed-meetings are rarely productive. Having said that, there is a difference between a meeting and a chat. Chat to your staff, make sure they are okay, make sure things are on track, congratulate them on a job well done but bow to their expertise. If you invite someone to a meeting, it's because they absolutely HAVE to be there. If you are having a meeting with a IT vendor and you couldn't tell the difference between two products without the salesman's help, you need your IT guy there, to tell you and the vendor exactly what you want and don't want. But then, why are you there in the first place if you don't know what you're buying?
Meetings can be so useful in the right hands, but 99% of the really important decisions are made or can be made when those self-same people pass each other in the corridor, or pop into each other's office/cubicle/cupboard to chat. That way, there's also no problem with disturbing each other from important work (they won't chat
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:I don't understand (Score:3, Interesting)
1. Get to know your boss's boss(es). It never hurts, and gives you some leverage over your boss.
2. The only thing a boss like that is going to know about what you're doing (and therefor what his job is) is what you tell him you're doing. Start leaving out information that your boss is likely to be asked about in his meetings with his bosses, without being obvious about it.
3. Eventually, due to step 2, your boss will find himself unable to answer questions on a regular basis, or have to call you in to answer questions for him. He will now be perceived as incompetant by his bosses. If the boss wants to yell at you or otherwise try to sanction you, make sure they do so in earshot of as many other people as possible, and be calm and subordinate, describing the problem as a lack of specifications on his part. This enhances your reputation, while making the boss look stupid and ineffective, the more angry he is the better.
4. As a result of 3, assuming your boss's boss(es) are reasonably smart, they'll realize that your boss is useless, and fire him. Since you're already a known factor (step 1), you're more likely to get promoted, or worst case your boss is replaced by someone else.
And yes, I haved used this process successfully. (My boss was called in front of the company president, was caught tongue-tied, and resigned 3 days later.)
Some important things to keep in mind:
1. The boss truly has to be useless for this to work.
2. It helps if you are the acknowledged senior member of the boss's staff. That will make things easier if you get the promotion.
3. Do not forget step 1 of this process. Otherwise your boss can just fire you.
4. Do NOT forget step 1 of this process.
Re:bollocks (Score:4, Interesting)
-nB
Re:Things are different in sales (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Things are different in sales (Score:2, Interesting)
I can understand that. As a technical writer [beckwrite.com], I need to understand a customer's product quickly and thoroughly, which means talking to engineers, operators, service technicians, etc., as well as getting my hands on the product.
But I try to avoid large meetings with everyone at once. I much prefer private interviews with one or two people, where I can concentrate on a particular aspect of the product.
Re:bollocks (Score:2, Interesting)
Case in point. I went from a job where I was in meetings 8 hours a day, working another 6 hours a day to accomplish all of the tasks set in said meetings, but no PHB would recognize that. Stayed in meetings, continued working around the clock to stay on top of work. What happened? I got a bad review for being 'emotional', 'negative', and 'personality conflicts' with my teammates... who were NOT in said meetings all of the time. GO FARKING FIGURE! They promoted the drunk dude, though I had more experience, talent, and WROTE all of the policies and procedures for the entire dept. I walked the next month.
NOW! I am in a job where I sit right next to my teammates... my boss has mobility issues, so he's in his office all day, where I can find him, and he emails us a lot. And we have *one* frickin' meeting a week. For 15 minutes. Needless to say, there are no communication issues, we work great together, and I'm PUSHING myself to stay for 40 hours a week, because we are efficient in what we do. Communication is a godsend for those that know how to do it effectively... and I think that was your point.
One thing I learned from all of those meetings, though... take copious notes, and follow up in email with the PHB and/or critical attendees. It will help you and THEM understand what was actually accomplished, and you have something to put in front of them when they change the requirements on you during UAT. *feh*
Re:Things are different in sales (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't work in sales, but I've had the privilege of sitting with and observing our folks that do, and it's an absolute art when done properly. I doubt I could do it, honestly.
I like the ones I go to (Score:3, Interesting)
My boss is extremely hands off, recognizing that I know what I need to do and that I get it done. When we have meetings, he usually takes us to lunch and discusses things over lunch. Usually less than half the time is devoted to work topics.
I have not yet had to go to a meeting that I felt was a time waster. The closest one so far was a meeting to discuss how we were going to prepare a response to a Request For Information.
Many of the meetings I go to are actually presentations to customers. Sometimes I am even presenting. In these meetings, I get to meet and converse with new people, and there is usually food, which is always good with me.
I guess the reason I don't have a problem with the meetings I end up going to is that they are not a distraction that takes me away from my work. When I go to a meeting it is because it IS my work.
Perhaps companies ought to give you a 1 hour project slippage allowance for every one hour meeting that they require you to go to.
Re:Things are different in sales (Score:4, Interesting)
On the other hand, when I ask a question and they obviously don't know but make something up or change the subject or tell me I don't want to do that anyway....