When's the last time you were invited to a "quick catch-up?" And when's the last time anything of value came out of that meeting?
Yeah, I thought as much! That's because quick catch-ups somehow morph into hour-long odysseys through absolutely nothing.
These are the dreaded agenda-less meetings of the corporate world. And it's the first sign of a BS meeting.
Here's how they usually go.
The meeting organiser kicks things off with a sorry attempt to seem productive.
I thought we could discuss the project.
They then launch into a rambling monologue that somehow covers everything and nothing. Various people "chip in" from time to time, each time taking the conversation into a different and unexpected direction. No one course-corrects.
These drifting conversations masquerade as work while everyone silently wonders why they're there. They pay just enough attention to hear their name should they be called on. To which they then reply:
Sorry, I missed that. Could you repeat?
For people who need time to process information or use assistive technology, these shapeless gatherings are particularly frustrating. Because when you can't prepare because you don't know what's coming, your participation becomes nearly impossible.
So that's a meeting without an agenda.
But it gets worse.
Enter meetings with pretend agendas like "Accessibility updates," "Project discussion" or "Dev team meeting."
You might as well write "Words Will Be Said" for all the direction that provides.
Next time you're tempted to call a meeting, ask yourself a few questions:
- What decisions do we need to make?
- What information do I need to share?
- Have I given people enough context to come prepared?
- Is a meeting the best way to communicate this?
- Is there a clear outcome we're working toward or am I just hoping something useful happens?
- Will this meeting lead to work moving forward?
And the best question I use myself:
- Would I be annoyed if someone else called this exact same meeting?
If you can't answer these questions, maybe that meeting could just be an email.
Or better yet, nothing at all.