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Why do meetings which are supposed to foster teamwork become such “energy suckers”?

The value of a meeting is inversely proportional to the time and number of people in attendance” ~Unknown

“You don’t need more time, you just need to decide” ~Seth Godin

Have you ever been rolling along in your day with plenty of energy only to get called into an hour long meeting where you say no more than 3 sentences, have no action items, and your only takeaway is less energy to face the rest of your day? Unfortunately almost all of us can say “Yes” to that. So why do meetings, which are supposed to foster teamwork, such “energy suckers?” Most of the blame will fall squarely on the meeting maker:

Political – They are often called to showcase the knowledge and power of someone, not to actual decide or review something. Basically the attendees are getting less out of it than the meeting administrator. People’s contributions are limited because the organizer of the meeting is “basking in the glow of their own magnificence” up at the head of the table. If you’re not getting value from a meeting, you are losing the value you could have received from the time elsewhere. Here’s a hint: The longer the invite list, the more likely it is a political meeting.

Unorganized – If a meeting doesn’t have an agenda and clearly defined anticipated outcome, then you are primed to waste your time. Without an agenda or goal it is too easy to get caught up on tangents or bring the “kitchen sink” into the meeting and end up nowhere. These meetings typically end with another meeting being scheduled and everybody wondering what they spent the last hour of their lives on. Not an energizing feeling.

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