Comments on: Unintended consequences of the all day meeting

By: Bob Shelby Twp. Mi.

Bob Shelby Twp. Mi. — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:01:23 +0000

I just read Warren Buffet’s commentary; “A business is like a painting” to him.

In the old school back in the fifties our mentors used non-visual forms of proverbs: “A psychotic paints castles in the sky and the neurotic lives in them”.

“A psychotic thinks that 2+2=6 and loves it. The nuerotic knows that 2+2=4 but hates it”.

We must remember that the sunrise and the sunset are perpetual! Falling asleep at meetings can make you miss, either, or, and let you default to painting ‘RAINBOWS”.

By: RKC, Chicago IL

RKC, Chicago IL — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:59:02 +0000

Thank you Mr. Bing. I needed these last two blogs. Why? Well, if I walk out the door right now I can see a tropical ocean, beautiful pools and two golf courses. I’ve been here for four days. I have not touched the sand, gone swimming or played golf. And even though I’m not a golfer the idea sounds good right now. I was in the international meeting Tuesday, the national meeting Wednesday and the Board meeting yesterday. Today the convention begins. I have had enough. It is torture to be inside day after day, meeting after meeting, dinner after dinner. I am tired of my fellow Americans and tired of the Europeans and Japanese. My only glimmer of hope was a bunch of Aussies I’m going to Old San Juan with on Saturday night until I looked at your blog. Between the two of you I know I’ll make it back home safely and with some remaining level of sanity!

By: Lee Marks

Lee Marks — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:05:32 +0000

For those of you who ‘can’t relate,’ you’re idiots. This was dead-on about the real effects of having to sit at attention to something that is supposed to be a ‘meeting’ but is really a lecture, or is just structured to be completely unfriendly to attendees but convenient to the leaders. This grates on the human soul. People with military backgrounds are experts at these types of meetings, though they tend to keep them short.

By: bob,ny ny

bob,ny ny — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:46:35 +0000

Bob, are you ok?

By: Miracle Admin, Westchester NY

Miracle Admin, Westchester NY — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:34:14 +0000

Mr. Bing,
you need a good admin who would not schedule 2 back to back meetings after an all day meeting.

By: Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX

Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:58:09 +0000

This blog entry is more boring than any meeting that has ever been held in history.

By: Jessie, Northern MN

Jessie, Northern MN — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:48:47 +0000

I always thought it was so weird how it takes a person many minutes (hours) to fall asleep at night, but put them in a meeting, class or in front of a computer screen and BAM! they fall asleep instantly! It is also nearly impossible to control.

This is the case with me, anyway.

Bob, I still don’t have any idea what you said.

By: Jack Hammond Canada

Jack Hammond Canada — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:00:59 +0000

Bing you are suffering from shell shock, you have been dodging too many bullets, for too long.

You need some R&R, smoke something, drink something keep your body fluids topped up.

Send a memo suggesting:

No meeting should ever take place that lasts longer than 2 hours tops.(and that includes 30 min. break time).

If you can’t summarize and present your position in less than 5 minutes you are fired.

Charts graphs and slide presentations should be rolled up into tubes and placed in a body cavity of those that brought them to the meeting.
Mangers that ask for meetings are admitting they have no idea what they are doing and are looking for solutions or they do know what they are doing and need changes.
Fire the first and keep the last one…
Insist that all those attending meetings do so pro-bono
(No pay during the attendance) and that fees for the rental of the meeting room will apportioned amongst the managers.
That should eliminate frivolous meetings.

By: Jason L., Philadelphia PA

Jason L., Philadelphia PA — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:51:09 +0000

Bing, I always wondered this, and your blog makes me wonder even more so. How important is it to take notes during meetings. Surely there must be some person who never got out of high school and thinks that they have to just scribble down every word that is said. Me personally, I feel like I can just sit there and pay attention when I need to and remember what my part is of the meeting. Sure coming prepared is important, but how important is it to actually take notes? Do you have to do it often, rarely, or sometimes? Is it frowned upon if you do not take notes during most meetings. I know there are always exceptions and at times it is imperative but what is your take on it?

By: L.T., Alexandria, VA

L.T., Alexandria, VA — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:17:07 +0000

I think Bob is suffering from post-traumatic meeting disorder.

By: Bob Shelby Twp. Mi.

Bob Shelby Twp. Mi. — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:08:00 +0000

Stanley, I worked as a pinsetter before automatic pin settters, Regular Army 17-20, steel worker 21-26, payroll-accounting 27-57, retired GMC 57, real estate agent 57-now, tax professional E.A. 58- now.

Every job I’ve had from the “open hearth sewers” to tax pro, the bitching as different as it may seem is very much the same–universally: “Oh how I wanna go home”. The work force just seems to take people out of their comfort zones–enough said.

Truthfully, I’ve been expecting your column to get trashed, and I have been trying to get as many gripes of “silent employees” said in your column as possible; griping almost always targets somebody.

The impact of blogging just bloggoles my mind! “The beat goes on and the beat goes on”.

What will the “Scandal Sheets” have to say about “Cher” and “Tom Cruise”? They’re airing on “Opra”.

By: Mark, Pittsburgh, PA

Mark, Pittsburgh, PA — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:47:07 +0000

Bing,

While I can empathize with you, I am somewhat amazed. Until reading this I had no idea that individuals that function at your elevated level on the organizational chart experienced meeting fatigue. It’s almost like finding out that professional baseball players use strength enhancing drugs.

By: Bing

Bing — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:43:46 +0000

Honestly, Bob. I love ya. But what the frig are you talkin’ about?

By: Bob Shelby Twp. Mi.

Bob Shelby Twp. Mi. — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:32:54 +0000

Yeh, Stash; it’s the SOS they throw at you so they can write off meeting costs as a management expense, and utilize their training equipment to justify a depreciation write off.

They also must give acid tests, for performance under fire, to dubious performing junior management hopefuls; especially, those with a raspy biting tongue.

Under the guise of giving you a freebee; they cram you with nebulous-trite doubletalk.

Now, if they want something from you, guess what! They’ll contract a silk tongue professional solicitor who can lay it on strong. Your monetary commitment will finance sending bagels and cream cheese to penguins in Antartica.

All these modern day prognosticaters operate on the SOS their grandfathers instigated way back when: “TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN: “WE’LL MAKE IT BETTER FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN”.

Today, we all wonder whose children their talking about; “THEIR CHILDREN”, or, “CHILDREN AT LARGE”???

How long can we go on???