September 21, 2007
Pointless Meetings
Written by Shana in Jaunty Post
The great thing about being a writer is that the only meetings you’re ever required to attend are those you schedule with yourself. Of course, if you schedule a meeting, then don’t feel like meeting, you can just cancel.
But I am well aware that people in other professions do not have this luxury. There’s something about the work world that loves a meeting—even when there’s nothing to say, even when all that’s said at the meeting is how there’s no need for a meeting.
Nowadays bosses and CEOs are getting wise to that fact that employees don’t like meetings and so they try to disguise them as “fun activities.” Instead of sitting and listening to the boss tell the employees the goals and objectives for the year, the employees play a “game” to learn them. Or maybe the staff does some kind of touchy-feely talking activity, where everyone is supposed to say what they think but no one really does because no one wants to get fired.
Ah, meetings…
Anyone feel me out there? What’s the most stupid, most pointless meeting you’ve ever had to attend?
5:23 am | Share This
Robyn DeHart Says:
It’s been a while, but I feel you, Shane. When I was in the corporate world and then in the higher education administration world, we had meetings all the time. Skull numbing get-togethers that made you want to put something sharp in your own eye, or rather the eye of who called the meeting. I can’t recall one stupid one in particular as they all seemed pretty pointless to me. I never understood why they couldn’t just send me an e-mail telling me everything that had to be said at the meeting. It would have been a whole lot more efficient and we all would have gotten more work done. Thank goodness now my meetings consist of kitty lap time in front of the Food network while I take a little writing break.
Kate Diamond Says:
I’m a teacher at the beginning of another school year… if you get me started on the subject of meetings, I may never stop!
Rainy Says:
Most meetings I’ve attended rarely achieve their expectations. Usually the same people speak up. The employees with their consistant gripes and complaints (sometimes the very ones that cause this particular meeting to occur) suddenly become voiceless…until after the meeting,of course.
In the 90’s teamwork was the big concept so little groups formed to empower everyone. The bottom line was when it got presented to the Big Whigs, no one seemed to listen, no follow through. So it usually boiled down to a waste of time.
My oddest meeting was when an I idea I’d talked about with my boss months earlier (and seemingly shelved) was presented in a meeting as The Big Whig’s great new time-saving plan they’d come up.
Karen H in NC Says:
Years back when I was still in sales, the company I worked would have annual ‘retraining’ sessions, gathering together in one place the sales forces of 3 offices. These meetings were actually a 3-day R&R, lots of fun & games with the daily meetings (bummer). But at one meeting, we were divided into groups of 8 and in an effort to teach teamwork, we were given a bunch of paper straws and told to build something strong enough to withstand the weight of a water glass.
Maybe that’s why I’m such a loner today……..
Margo Maguire Says:
The meetings I attended as a nurse were always short and to the point. I don’t recall a single one that was dumb. But when I was on my kids’ school’s School Improvement Team as PTA president, I could not believe the amount of wheel-spinning that went on during those meetings. It was ridiculous!
Georgie Lee Says:
Many years ago, I briefly worked in sales and the meetings were rip-your-eyes-out annoying. The worst meeting was when a used car salesman type tried to pump us up about sales. On the plus side, that meeting inspired the poem that became the first poem I ever had published.
Helen Says:
Every year at work we what they call re-orientation this goes for about 2 hours and every staff member has to attend in groups (we are a big company) it takes about three weeks to get everyone to one of the meetings it is the same boring stuff as the year before nothing changes except the amount of money the company is making. I don’t like them either Shana.
Have Fun
Helen
brownone Says:
I used to work for the corporate office at a MAJOR hamburger chain and ALWAYS had to go to tedious meetings. Probably the dumbest would be a few hours discussing the upcoming Halloween Bash or Holiday Party!
AndreaW Says:
When I worked for a super market, we would have a meeting every 3 months or so. The meetings themselves weren’t bad, however, the times were. Because we were open from 8 am - 10 pm, the meetings started at either 5 or 6 am.