Meetings

Terry loves meetings. A day full of meetings is a very predictable
way of spending another day in the office, or even a day at home when they are held via teleconference.

However, meetings can be deceptive just like e-mail. They can give the false satisfaction of a good days work when little has really been achieved.

It always surprises me when I attend a meeting that is full of lots of people yet only a small number of the attendees ever speak. The organiser often seems to have invited everyone under the sun and I am never sure whether this is because they want to avoid offending anyone by not inviting them, or just that they've invited everyone they know to justify having a meeting.

I am always amazed that people also seem to have the time to attend meetings where they don't contribute, maybe they just like attending meetings even if they're not relevant to their work or maybe they're in the wrong place but too embarrassed to 'fess up. The other day I was sat in a meeting and just as it was about to start someone rushed in and sat down. We did some introductions and it was clear that he was in the wrong room as his job was completely different to everyone else's. As the meeting was just a meet & greet I didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. It was almost an hour before he realised he was in the wrong place. Incredible!