It's ok to be social and bond with your co-workers.
Work doesn't have to be about non-stop value delivery.
Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
11–16 of 16 posts
Re: Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
#12Show up 15-20 minutes late
Re: Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
#13Stop going. I’ve used this strategy a lot, and no one seems to care. You’re likely overestimating the amount people are thinking about your presence.
For the first time or two, have a response ready, like “oh I just had to make progress on blah, did I miss anything important?” After awhile, if anyone asks, you can say that you don’t feel like you add enough value to justify the time spent. Your boss can always correct you and ask that you come again, but that at least gets him to evaluate if it’s important.
Re: Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
#1415-20 minutes per week of pointless non-value chit-chat talk on a meeting with coworkers is time well spent. Don't forget to ask them about something you remember about them from last week.
Re: Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
#15Prepare to be productive regardless of what happening around you.
Think about riding bus for 30 minutes. Can you be productive in there? Do the same during meeting.
Re: Ask HN: Help, I am stuck in another pointless weekly meeting
#1615-20 minutes per week of pointless non-value chit-chat talk on a meeting with coworkers is time well spent. Don't forget to ask them about something you remember about them from last week.
That time is better spent over lunch explicitly relaxing rather than in a meeting which people trade off against other things.
3 minutes is fine and re-enforces a relationship. but when it rolls on into 15-20 for a regular meeting among folks who already know each other, then it sets people up for not working efficiently and thereby not getting home on time.