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What do you guys think about people not fully paying attention in a meeting? It seems like they become more inefficient because stuff is constantly repeated and nobody is paying attention.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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For many meetings it seems like it won't matter, they are often useless. For mine, I stick to an agenda and get it over with, usually before the allotted time. If I see anyone on their phone I call them out. The best way is to ask that person what I or someone else just said.
For many meetings it seems like it won't matter, they are often useless. For mine, I stick to an agenda and get it over with, usually before the allotted time. If I see anyone on their phone I call them out. The best way is to ask that person what I or someone else just said.
That is definitely a good way to do that. Typically I'm not leading meetings so I don't have much of a say or I'd be calling out my boss. I just notice it seems meetings could easily be 1/4 of the time if everyone just came in with a pad of paper and pen and gave their full attention.
I'm working on two major projects, plus I have my regular work to do so I'm in meetings all day everyday. At least 6-8 meetings a day, sometimes 10, sometimes double booked. This is pretty much the norm for my department. Yes, while we're in meetings we're also on our laptops doing work, otherwise the work wouldn't get done. Since this is normal for my department, no one gets upset if something has to be repeated. I've learned to listen for keywords which prompt me to pay attention, or if I hear my name then I'll perk up.
Friday is my easy day. I only have 4 meetings.
I get phones, but laptops could be to take notes or to bring relevant (or saved) info to the topic.
In my video, I talk about this. Take notes on a pad of paper. Maybe have 1 designated minutes\notes taker. I always just show up to meetings with my pad of paper and pen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MLSFan
?
you planning on giving them a quiz at the end of it? make it like college with attendance and participation points?
No, but a good meeting should have everyone on the same page and action items for everyone to accomplish between the next meeting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaynaydee
I'm working on two major projects, plus I have my regular work to do so I'm in meetings all day everyday. At least 6-8 meetings a day, sometimes 10, sometimes double booked. This is pretty much the norm for my department. Yes, while we're in meetings we're also on our laptops doing work, otherwise the work wouldn't get done. Since this is normal for my department, no one gets upset if something has to be repeated. I've learned to listen for keywords which prompt me to pay attention, or if I hear my name then I'll perk up.
Friday is my easy day. I only have 4 meetings.
This is the trap I'm talking about. If meetings were efficient, you'd have less of them and could actually work undistracted on the projects.
My boss makes us crazy with her behavior in meetings. We have a weekly meeting, it could be 20 minutes if she actually paid attention, but she has her cell phone and her watch that flashes her text messages, and she is constantly drifting off as something more interesting catches her eye. It's rude as hell. We're each giving reports, and then we see her eye drift to her phone, and she'll suddenly hold up her hand and say, "Oh, wait, I need to get this . . . " and it's just a text that could have easily waited 15 minutes. We're not doing brain surgery, here -- it's real estate, very few emergencies that won't wait 15 minutes. Yet, we aren't allowed to have phones because she says they are "distracting". We tried to talk to her, and point out that the "no phone" ban needed to be observed by everyone, but she got huffy and implied that any text message she received was more important than anything we had -- even though I know her daughter is her chief distracter, sending photos of grandchildren and arranging for afternoon babysitting gigs, etc.) I've worked with her for a long time, so I was able to suggest that she needed to set a good example by not bringing her cell phone to meetings, but she was pretty dismissive that her cell phone behavior was a problem in meetings. She thinks she's multi-tasking -- but in reality, she's prioritizing, and making it clear that this meeting isn't a priority -- so why are we wasting our time?
In my video, I talk about this. Take notes on a pad of paper. Maybe have 1 designated minutes\notes taker. I always just show up to meetings with my pad of paper and pen.
Sorry, but I am taking notes on my laptop. If I'd take notes on paper, I'd have to transfer them to my computer later, and that's inefficient. I have too much to do to be retyping notes.
Sorry, but I am taking notes on my laptop. If I'd take notes on paper, I'd have to transfer them to my computer later, and that's inefficient. I have too much to do to be retyping notes.
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