How to Attend Meetings • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Attend Meetings

#191

Post by SergeAx » Tue, Dec 09, 2025, 1:06 AM UTC

garciasn wrote: post #7

I agree with each and every single slide in this presentation; I do. I also know that in each and every company I have ever worked for, none of this is going to fly. Especially, "Attending meetings is a choice." Just like paying taxes is a choice; got it. --- For decades, I have been asking for agendas; I have asked for clarification on what to do to prepare; I have even suggested that we have solid outcomes. None of…

Interestingly, both of your points could be addressed by adopting a company-wide policy: if a meeting has no agenda attached, it is optional to join. Or, in short, "no agenda - no attenda."

Re: How to Attend Meetings

#192

Post by RheingoldRiver » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 7:12 AM UTC

PaulCarrack wrote: post #177

Zenbit_UX wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would also like a copy, someone in this community must have made a copy. #Mirror for quick searcher's.

It really is a tragedy. I can't find it anywhere and I really wanted to reference it for future meetings. @spagoop can you reupload it?

in case you didn't see it, there's a mirror here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1M-d9rRsFnC8zUkeFrkVC...

Re: How to Attend Meetings

#193

Post by Dumblydorr » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 11:20 AM UTC

blackqueeriroh wrote: post #142

tonymet wrote: post #124

Though these guides are well meaning, they completely misread the inadvertent outcome of meetings. Even a perfectly planned meeting has a number of other effects beside resolving the stated agenda. When and how people are invited and declined, who attends, who engages, how people engage are all signals gleaned from a meeting. Think of how many times someone felt jilted by not being invited, called on, not responded t…

No, people are interested in the outcomes of meetings. They aren’t interested the meetings themselves. On the off chance they care deeply about hearing one person’s perspective - there are much better ways to get that.

Some people get their vitamin people from meetings. They may live alone and not know anyone locally. They may want to feel more personal connection. I don’t usually feel that way myself but sometimes it does help with loneliness oddly enough.