Meetings are a dying breed of face-to-face engagement that have taken on more angst, agony and abuse in recent years than even the lowly cubicle.
“There’s nothing more toxic to productivity than a meeting,” Jason Fried argues, author of the best-selling book, Rework, “They break your work day into small, incoherent pieces that disrupt your natural workflow. They often contain at least one moron that inevitably gets his turn to waste everyone’s time with nonsense… The goal is to avoid meetings. Every minute you avoid spending in a meeting is a minute you can get real work done instead.”
Did you get that? It is painstakingly difficult to form everyone around the table for a discussion. More than that, it’s unproductive. It’s time-consuming. It’s inefficient. Your co-workers are morons. Feelings could get hurt. Souls misunderstood. We should avoid each other at all costs. Don’t talk. Crouch and hide behind a monitor, like you learned to drop and roll for a fire.
Fried argues if you absolutely must hold a meeting, you should set up a timer and invite as few people as possible. Which really describes an industrial factory full of machines, not a cadre of smart people in a pioneering workplace, does it not?
More and more, solutions toward a better workplace include making sure we’re as far apart from each other as possible. Escapism is cloaked in flexible schedules, location-independence, and working from a coffee shop to the point of being revered; it’s okay that most people could never see another person and still do their job effectively.
We intentionally court the label of recluse as status symbol; evading a meeting is hip and progressive. Conversation is out.
A good deal of this obsession can be credited to our educational pedigree, where the American obsession with rote learning and standardized testing has married that old and outdated hag of work, the industrial model. Their child is the monstrosity of a workplace that we have today. Such systems, the trappings of knowledge and innovation, have actually killed creativity to the detriment of the current and future economy, and of course, our spirits.
We’re running away and far away in the wrong direction. Away from each other and towards nothing at all more grand, preferring the safety and fortitude of our screens more than the uncertainty and uncontrollability of real-life interactions.
Creativity once required a lone artist with his canvas or an eccentric inventor toiling away in his garage. But the new economy will increasingly require us to work together, to learn through the discovery of dialogue, the challenge of ideas and the experience of being in the same room – after all, the subtleties of a person’s mannerisms just don’t come through in a smiley face emoticon.
So maybe you could start a new kind of work revolution. One that doesn’t push away from each other but attracts us closer. Get up and talk. You know, within a physical distance that doesn’t require the use of email, text or gchat. Throw out your timer. Fight over something. Be interesting. Interrupt someone’s work.
Reach out and touch someone.
Work is the constant sifting and winnowing of how we make sense of the world. And real work can’t be done solely inside of a screen.
29 replies on “Are Meetings Passé?”
A bit of a recluse myself, I can see what you’re saying. It’s alarming how much we’re retreating from each other, and something is definitely lost when we stop interacting with each other, face to face. It’s why I like going into an office three days a week. Human contact.
But I can’t help agreeing with Fried as well. Most meetings I’ve been to have been a waste of time. We recite what we’ve done, making no additional plans to move forward. We pat each other on the back, which is nice. But it’s frustrating, too, especially when you’re thinking: “I could be using this time to get stuff done!”
As an introvert, I fare especially poorly in meetings. I hate being put on the spot. I prefer to listen, reflect, and then react later, when my thoughts are in order. So meetings bring me an extra bit of anxiety.
Perhaps meetings just need a major overhaul?
2 thumbs up for this post.
PS, I absolutely love the font face in your articles.
Nice piece, Rebecca. Thanks!
@ Steph – I’m with you. I do think meetings need an overhaul, and people need to be more interesting. I crave meetings at my current position because they are always so energizing and motivating, but we also rarely have them. As an extrovert in the workplace (not as much socially), that’s been my experience. I just worry we’re swinging the pendulum too far. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
@ Mehul – Thanks for the kind words. I think the posts are Calibri. Everything else is Verdana and Arial.
@ John – Glad you enjoyed, thanks!
Hmmmmmm……..
I agree we don’t need to glorify systems that merely push us apart and isolate us.
But we also can get rid of a LOT of meetings.
We don’t need to meet just to meet. And we don’t need not to meet just to not meet.
What we need to reclaim is purpose. Discover why we’re doing what we’re doing. What’s the point? To brainstorm? To work? To hang out? All are fine by me. Just let me know that going in so I can plan accordingly.
What an aggressive post. This post is needed for a long time. One of the main reasons why I loathe the working world that the older generations praise about.
@ Sam – Yes, of course. But why are we glorifying NOT meeting? I don’t think that’s any better. Discovering purpose is good and also, just realizing that meetings can be just as compelling as being on your computer. It’s the idea that we’re not interesting or productive enough to talk to each other that grates on my nerves. Surely, that is the case for many, but even then, isn’t that part of the great experience of meetings?
@ Stanley – Thanks, Stanley. I can definitely see it from both sides, but given the choice, I would I often prefer to have a meeting vs. not.
I’m with Steph. While admittedly, I am no recluse, months & months of pointless sales meetings definitely put me off meetings.
Instead of functioning under the guise of sharing & contributing, they should have a more collaborative feel?
As Sam said, a reclamation of purpose may be in need.
@ Melissa – Yeah… I just don’t think it’s the meetings, but our view of them and our execution. Why not learn how to do it so that they’re not pointless instead of swinging the pendulum as far as us never seeing each other? Could be good : )
[…] Thorman wrote today a post that should have been written some time ago: Meetings are not a bad thing. I’ve been thinking about this myself, but Rebecca beat me to it: We’re running away and […]
I think the key here is making sure that meetings are deliberate. At the end of the day, leadership means having the ability to use time strategically and with intention.
My work structure is such that I’m empowered to decide which location is best for me at any given point in time based on what I need to accomplish.
With that being said, I don’t resent my co-workers and I don’t hate meetings at Solutions 21. I welcome them, because we always hold them after deciding that meeting (in person or via technology) is the most efficient way to tackle a challenge. Each company is different, but as a boutique consulting firm with team members in and out of the office all of the time, this seems to work best for us. I also think that this structure has brought us closer together. Since we don’t have to see each other, we want to.
I think this is another case where you have to be sure to pick the right people to work with. The right people won’t waste your time, and as you said – will fight, be interesting, and interrupt. I like the energy that you brought to this part of the post, because I look for that same energy in the people I work with.
@ Meghan – Love your points. I agree, with freedom comes affection. I think part of the reason we push back on meetings so much is because we don’t have that freedom and respect that you describe in your comment. Picking the right people to work with is such a salient point as well. If you hate meetings, that is a symptom, not a cause. The solution would be to know yourself better to find who you can interact with in a more exciting and efficient way.
This is a great post. I really love Jason’s writing and ideas – and although I may not always agree with them I appreciate his candor, forward thinking and ability to think creatively.
I for one, don’t hate meetings. I have been in meetings where I feel like NOTHING is getting done and we’re sort of wasting time and that is where I feel like, we could improve.
Then again, I look forward to the meetings I have at work because I interact with other team members, discuss ideas and come to a conclusion so we can go forward and do something better/new. I am social at work as well, there are times when I like to put on my headphones and music and really get to it (need to focus) but I sincerely appreciate the short meetings, where we really need to meet and collaborate and those are powerful.
@ Grace – It’s the same over here – I crave meetings at work because they are so much fun, energizing and creative. It makes it all the more enjoyable to head back to my desk and put those headphones on and work to see all of that come to life. But I need the interaction first. Thanks for the comment!
Avoiding meetings is the easy way out. It’s much easier to just avoid meetings than to work towards having better meetings. I’ve been in wonderful brainstorming meetings and terrible meetings that could have been effectivly replaced by emails. Yikes!
So, a few points of discussion:
* How do you re-cap past decisions and discussion for the people who weren’t previously involved?
* How to get everyone onboard when a decision is made. You don’t want to have the same meeting and same discussion week after week.
* How to record the key discussion and decisions?
* How to reel in the tangents.
* Avoiding alineating people by keeping the meeting on track.
* Cultivating consistency so people know what to expect at your meetings.
@Rebecca: A meeting is only productive if there is an agenda for it in advance and takes only as much time as it needed. It shouldn’t take so much time that would eat up otherwise productive use of time.
@K00kykelly: Having a meeting for the sakes of having a meeting won’t be productive in any way, no matter how much better the people improve it to be. I think the most important point is having a purpose on that meeting. Here are some responses to your questions of discussion:
* in an agenda with past meeting’s minutes for people to skim through so that precious time isn’t wasted on explaining things about it
* this is ultimately a pitfall of democracy in the workplace. On my business team, the person who is in charge of creating and managing the idea/project would ultimately make the gut-wrenching decision. The discussion in the meeting is only there for partners to help the manager to avoid a potential screw-up. Having a vote at the meeting once and for all on the decision would also work to get it over with.
* Recording key discussions and decisions involves identification, noting down major potential solutions, decisions, and course of action
* Reeling in the tangents involves speaking up when the meeting is going off-tangent.
* I’m not that concerned about alienating people. After all, I’m either aiming to GTD or make more profits for my project or company, not really making friends.
* Cultivating consistency involves demonstrating consistently by example.
*
I went from a company that had too many meetings to one that has too few. Yes, I would get seriously irritated at some of the meetings I had to attend at my old job. There were plenty of meetings I was in solely for political reasons or because the meeting planner thought it made them seem more important to have me there instead of one my employees. But at the same time, we had wonderful weekly staff meetings so that everyone in our department knew what was going on. This gave us opportunities to share information and ideas and celebrate with each other. We also had regular brainstorming meetings and we were careful to structure those so that we actually accomplished something.
When I lead a meeting, I always try to have an agenda and keep everyone on task, which helps people feel less frustrated about the meeting usually.
At my new job, we never have meetings. I have no idea what my co-workers are working on them unless I ask them, and that often leads to them thinking I’m spying on them or something. There’s no collaboration. I feel like I’m barricaded in my office and that it’s awkward to venture out and talk to people because no one else does. I don’t have regular meetings with my manager either. It’s very strange to me and I miss the interaction of my old job. I thought I would be someone who would work well from home, but this has made me rethink that!
@Kelly – Great points – I think if meetings are just an information dissemination tool than you’re using them wrong. Unless that information is really cool. Like, we only have staff meetings when our CEO wants to tell us big news or new directions. It’s incredibly fun. i think a lot of your questions come in when your organization is too bureaucratic, which isn’t a meeting problem, but a company problem.
@ Stanley – Yes… but it should also have room for exciting light bulb moments that don’t fit on an agenda : )
@ Lindsey – I love that you brought up celebrating together – such an important aspect of meetings! The shared experience meetings provide is one of my favorite pieces. I know what you mean about the work from home thing as well. As I’ve mentioned to some of the other commenters, we have great meetings here at Alice, but I wish there were a few more. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
@Rebecca: meeting moments collecting ideas from light bulb moments are useful. However, allocating light bulb moments in meetings are hopeless in my opinion. Light bulb moments have no regard to what you’re doing at that specific time.
Rebecca – I’ve been on both sides of the meeting issue myself. Some meetings were critical to my weekly productivity and creativity, others were a drain and a waste of time.
I think really, the hard part is that it’s hard to tell when you commit to a meeting (which really is the moment you walk through the door to attend one) whether or not it will be a waste of time until you’re in the middle of it — unless there’s history regarding the project or organizer, or if it’s a standing meeting that is rarely productive, and often, those are the meetings that one is obligated (either formally or informally) to attend. And it’s almost never socially acceptable to just hop out the door when a meeting pings the unproductive meter.
So to me, the whole to meet or not to meet question is really about something else: trust, perhaps, or maybe courtesy or even culture. The point is, as you are pointing out, that meetings are a SOCIAL construct, so in the nitty gritty, like with most relational things, the lines are a bit blurry, and I don’t think there’s a firm line in the sand you can draw on this one.
Thanks for a great post – really made me think!
@ Stanley – Doesn’t sound like you have very fun meetings ; )
@ Tiffany – Funny you say it’s not socially acceptable to leave a meeting – our CEO does it all the time! Haha. He has a knack for escaping the most boring parts of a meeting, in fact. I’m learning some good skills through him! Agreed that there’s no firm line and the desire to draw one is what frustrates me most. Thanks for your awesome comment.
@Rebecca: Depends on what meetings you’re talking about. If you’re talking about work (or professional) meetings, I find at least 90% of them aren’t all that fun. If you’re talking about social meetings in the mean time…
You mention Jason Fried – who is great – but I’d argue his company has a very unique culture and is relatively small. I’m not a huge fan of meetings, but their success depends entirely on who is running them and what the objectives are.
I still think meetings are a great way to get everyone on the same page. Whenever I think of organizational leadership, I think of the Cuban Missile Crisis (thank you Graham Allison). How different would that situation have been if JFK didn’t regularly hold meetings with his brain trust to get some conflicting advice? You just can’t replicate that in an instant message.
As someone who has designed and facilitated meetings as part of my job, I agree that they can be awful if not done right. But there are so many great ways to make meetings fun without a lot of work. Or if not fun then productive.
Rebecca – I love this post because I have also been thinking that the next generation of workers and companies have knocked them a bit too hard.
And I love your point about being around each other versus being alone with our screens. I’m an extrovert so I get my energy from being around others big time. I’ve spent much of the last two years since I’ve moved here working in coffee shops as a consultant and I’ve felt starved for meetings. Starved for being with my group of smart, fun coworkers and talking about stuff that matters.
Starved for meetings where a few of my colleagues and I go into a room and write all over the walls, gesticulate with our hands (a lot – I’m Jewish, its in my blood) and laugh a lot too. We leave there so energized and go back to our screens to crank out even better stuff.
@ Rachel – Great points. I instant message quite often, but I also quite often get fed up and go find my co-worker to talk in person as well. I think dialogue is incredibly powerful… we need more of it!
@ Miri – I’m borderline extrovert/introvert – but in the workplace, I definitely need to feed off the energy to do a good job. I know just what you mean about coffee shops as I experienced that a lot in my last position. We’re humans and we need human contact, not just contact with your screens! Thank you for sharing your experiences and comment!
[…] Avoid the meetings: Rebecca Thorman of Modite suggested crouching and hiding behind a monitor like you learned to drop and roll for a fire. Adopted from Tim Ferriss’s Four Hour Workweek, I concentrate on my own workstation while […]
My experience with meetings goes with Jason Fried’s argument. Most of the time it’s senseless. However, I do believe that face to face interaction is important. Perhaps we just need to know who are those that can contribute to our meetings rather than wasting our time dealing with bigots. :-)
I couldn’t agree more, I am a firm believer in face to face interaction. In an age of seemingly endless ways of non-personal communications, we are losing more than we are gaining. Sure sending a text or an e-mail is a less daunting task than sitting in a meeting for an hour or two, but typing doesn’t reveal a personality or let you really get to know someone. It is hard a lot of times to dedicate valuable time to meet in a group, but a message there will not get scrambled a half dozen times like a text message back and forth might.
[…] A great post from Modite that emphasizes the importance of the face-to-face team meetings in today’s increasingly […]