The Meeting that could have been an email

Everyone's favorite corporate pass-time:
𝟳 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰̶𝗼̶𝘂̶𝗹̶𝗱̶ 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹:

Since leaving big corporate,
I haven't enjoyed these in a while.
The meeting that really should not happen.
The one that could have been an email,
or perhaps even a chat message,
or should have stayed a draft.

From the Marathon Meeting,
to the Status Update Spectacle.

These 7 could be indicators,
on needing to revisit those,
meeting guidelines.

You might want to read this,
and make sure you don't
throw these around
like Oprah throws around gifts.

Unless of course,
you really want to get rid of your team.


P.S. Which frustrates you most? Join the discussion on LinkedIn

Opener slide

The meeting that could have been an email

Warning

Bit of sarcasm here.
These are the meetings that should indicate a need for meeting best practices.

Your favorite passtime

Don’t we all like to talk business? Some of us more then others.

To satisfy this need, the best invention ever was made: THE MEETING

Forget what you were taught on Agenda’s, The Pizza Rule, etc.

These 7 are the main versions of the meeting. Let’s dive in,... >

The Marathon Meeting

You know the drill – let’s start at 9 am and stretch into the abyss of lunchtime.

Everyone’s trapped in a room, watching the clock tick away while tangent topics spiral into oblivion.

Autonomy over your schedule?
Forget about it. You’re not going anywhere.

The Status Update Meeting

Gather ‘round, folks, for the riveting tale of what everyone did last week!

Each person takes their turn, recounting mundane details that could’ve easily been summed up in an email and forever stayed in a draft version.

Managing your time efficiently? Nope, you’re stuck here until the last update’s useless detail.

Conference Call Circus

Welcome to the land of pre-COVID & dropped calls, “are you on mute”, dial-in codes, awkward silences, and constant interruptions.

Who needs face-to-face interaction when you can spend an hour deciphering garbled voices over crackling lines?

Agenda-less affair

Picture this:
You walk into a meeting room, hoping for structure and direction.

Instead, you’re greeted by blank stares and a leader who says, “Let’s just see where this takes us.”

Had plans for your day? Sorry, they’re lost somewhere in the void of aimless chatter.

Decision deferral

Ah, the art of deferring decisions – ? Or better yet: add more people to the decision loop.

Every meeting ends with promises of follow-ups and action items that linger in limbo indefinitely.

Move forward? Nope, stuck in decision purgatory.

Overcrowded Orchestra

Ever tried to hold a meaningful conversation in a room packed like a sardine can?

Welcome to the overcrowded orchestra, where voices blend into cacophony and meaningful dialogue becomes a distant dream.

Being heard? Good luck finding your solo in this symphony of chaos.

Incessant Interruptions

You’re in the zone,
knocking out tasks left and right,
when suddenly
– ding! –
an invite pops up for an impromptu meeting.

Focus and prioritize? Ha! It’s like trying to juggle flaming torches in a hurricane of notifications.

AI's response to meetings

Sometimes we need a little confrontation with reality to see how ridiculous things can get.

These examples still happen in real life. A lot. I asked AI how it looked at this:

Guide to lower employee turnover

I just launched a digital product on Gumroad.

A guide that will help you:

- lower employee turnover,
- boost innovation,
- build a more attractive employer brand.