For a few years, I started every Monday morning in a small windowless room with my boss, bad coffee, and four colleagues. My coworkers and I were peer managers, but our departments rarely intersected. Why were we meeting? Our boss told us to show up. There was no purpose — the event was a showcase for our boss to talk about his weekend. Yawn.
I fear this situation has only gotten worse during our stay-at-home COVID-19 time. People call Zoom or Skype meetings because they're bored, or have a non-urgent question that could be emailed. They figure you're available because where else would you be? Hint: people are still doing work and interruptions aren't welcome. With no purpose and no agenda, why the hell are we (virtually) here? In person or on Zoom, it's wasted salary for those lucky enough to still be employed.
If it gets irritating enough, you can do what I’ve done: ask for the meeting's purpose and agenda. Be fairly warned ... if you ask a couple of times, you’ll end up in charge. That’s not really so bad — you can always cancel it!
Have you been the recipient of time-wasting virtual meetings? Are they any different from in-person bad meetings? Please comment in the box below.
Sending you appropriately socially distanced encouragement-- and the hope you can find something decent to stream tonight.
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