Meetings

Open email and saw the meeting invite,
“Damn it, not again,” you sighed.
The struggle with deadline is already overwhelming,
but daily schedule is riddled with meetings.
The interruption can really frustrate,
It rob the little time you have to concentrate.
But being a team worker, you need to participate,
and sacrifice precious time to attend the meeting you hate.

You believe there are reasons for it convening,
Be it team building or to discuss strategic planning.
Leader checking on team for timely reporting,
to be sure that works and plan are efficiently running.
Meeting enable communication and interaction,
encourage collaboration, creativity and innovation.
It create a learning environment through info sharing session,
and ensure alignment for work to be done in orderly fashion.

The reasons may be simple, but hardly anyone get it right,
meeting are often fill with nuances, politics and even slight.
Some took as opportunity for casual catch-up,
wandering off topics, talking non-stop and never let up.
Organizer interest is pushing idea into motion,
There is no opportunity for comments on the notion.
Participation is stifled from those who were there,
like a trap for rubber-stamping of decisions made elsewhere.

Meeting can happen at an inconvenient time
Only to get worse and drive you out of your mind,
when someone dragging and talking shit,
as you watch your colleagues falling asleep.
When some were having fun bragging aloud,
you have no idea what the meeting is about
There is no takeaway, no one contributing,
There is no clear decision or purpose even till the ending.

Why gather a crowd to discuss about production,
instead of allowing actual work to be done in timely fashion.
The pointless meeting disrupt focus and cause distraction,
it blew the day into pieces too small for effective action.
Avoid convening meetings to prepare for meeting,
email instead, it’s as effective in communicating.
Don’t use meeting to look busy or as time killer,
It may turn out to be a recipe for disaster.

If meeting is necessary, keep the meeting agenda clear
Control and prevent it from skipping off the rails.
Keep the headcount low, avoid blanket invite,
Draft participant with varying perspective and insight.
Build trust and open communication,
communicate the reasons behind decisions.
When leaders listen to differing views,
team members will contribute as they feel valued.

Refrain from insult if opinion contradict.
because if a member is being made to feel naïve,
and in the effort not to appear foolish,
the rest will never take the risk to speak.
Expect some members to disagree,
encourages a spirit of inquiry.
because “Yes-man” may make you feel good,
but benefits can only be reaped from truth.

Be aware of Organizational Silence,
group is afraid to contradict authority decision.
Be aware of the power of group dynamics,
Individual may kowtow because he yearn to fit.
And recognize the sign of meeting fatigue,
So that quality of the meeting will not take a hit.
Meeting should not be an event where minutes were taken,
with hours wasted and productivity forsaken.