How to Attend Meetings
docs.google.com
How to Attend Meetings
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Re: How to Attend Meetings
#2Love these slides, hard agree on _all_ points. But, be absolutely certain on the culture before you start declining meetings, even if for valid reasons like outlined in this presentation. Declining meetings can be seen as a negative, "not a team player", thing... and, I really have to be certain on my leadership, the company, and the context before I push back on someone wanting my time. Even if their request for my time was arbitrary, or useless.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#3As somone who vigorously declines meetings, this gave me some extra criteria to use (estimated speaking time per attendee)
What I found the most useful was the focus that was put on having agendas for every meeting, something that I try to do for every meeting that I schedule.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#4Love these slides, hard agree on _all_ points. But, be absolutely certain on the culture before you start declining meetings, even if for valid reasons like outlined in this presentation. Declining meetings can be seen as a negative, "not a team player", thing... and, I really have to be certain on my leadership, the company, and the context before I push back on someone wanting my time. Even if their request for my…
I think that’s why the document had some suggested pushback to meeting invites (e.g. “what’s the agenda so I can prepare”)
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#5Should be a doc on the harder skill of how to schedule meetings, then you wouldn't need a guide on how to attend them.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#6Love these slides, hard agree on _all_ points. But, be absolutely certain on the culture before you start declining meetings, even if for valid reasons like outlined in this presentation. Declining meetings can be seen as a negative, "not a team player", thing... and, I really have to be certain on my leadership, the company, and the context before I push back on someone wanting my time. Even if their request for my…
I think that’s why the document had some suggested pushback to meeting invites (e.g. “what’s the agenda so I can prepare”)
Yep! And, I send that exact message/email all the time in good faith. But, even with that - if someone just wants to talk, trying to nail them down on a topic can be _seen_ as obstructive, even though it's productive. Unfortunately, lots of people who schedule meetings just want to talk with not much outcome.
I'm being pedantic, but my experienced inverse of these slides is that meetings are the "social" part of work. It really really depends on the company, the leadership, the people. But, sometimes - it's more in your professional interest to talk about + market the work vs. actually doing it.
Ultimately, we agree :)
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#7I 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.
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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 which are followed nor what anyone else wants.
Even as a leader at organizations where I can enforce this on my team, it makes absolutely no difference. Hell, Google Calendar (we use Workspace at my current org) doesn't even have solid support for good meeting invite commentary. And, even if it did, 99.99999% of folks wouldn't read any of it anyway.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#8I'd also add that if nothing was written down (and ideally sent to participants afterward), the meeting was a waste of time.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#9Had an idea
These are ideals but in reality your boss calls a meeting you go and forget the rules.
So...
What if there were decoy meetings. Useless fake ones where if you accept you get a reminder of the rules.
People are motivated by power lines so doing this reverses it so that non attendance or thinking about attendance is aligned.
Re: How to Attend Meetings
#10I 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…
Often, corporate culture is more about maintaining status-quo vs. actually achieving or organizing efforts. People often just want to hear themselves talk, stroke their ego, and position/politic. As an IC/leader/owner this can be _so_ annoying.
Anecdotally - this happens at the majority of places/teams/situations unless it's a very small, and coherent team.