I have been reading Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson which is a fast and inspiring read that I can heartily recommend. One chapter that struck a chord with me was entitled “Meetings are Toxic”.
Meetings are described as “The worst interruptions of all” for the following reasons
- They’re usually about words and abstract concepts, not real things.
- They usually convey an abysmally small amount of information per minute.
- They drift off- subject easier than a Chicago cabin a snowstorm.
- They require thorough preparation that most people don’t have time for.
- They frequently have agendas so vague that nobody is really sure of the goal.
- They often include at least one moron who inevitably gets his turn to waste everyone’s time with nonsense.
- Meetings procreate. One meeting leads to another meeting leads to another . .
They suggest that:
- Invite as few people as possible.
- Begin with a specific problem. Meet at the site of the problem instead of a conference room. Point to real things and suggest real changes.
- End with a solution and make someone responsible for implementing it.
As someone who has sat in more than one meeting, wondering whether I really need to be there, and having watched my colleagues happily surfing away on their laptop/Iphone I can testify to the accuracy of their observations.
If you’re thinking of booking a meeting with your colleagues ask yourself the following :
- Is everybody I have invited involved or just interested ?
- Would a quick chat over a cup of tea achieve just as much ?
- Do I need the minutes to document what we have agreed or would an email be enough ?
The philosopher Alain de Botton summed this up on twitter when he wrote “There are meetings which, when cancelled at the last minute, give one an ecstatic feeling of having cheated death for a little longer.”
Gold.
