Today at Lifehacker, they asked a question of their readers based off some new research asserting that group brainstorming, or “group think” hinders people’s ability to come up with good, alternative solutions.
In short, “None of us is as dumb as all of us.”
I’ve been a part of my fair share of dumb meetings. But their poll led me to ask myself, “What makes a good meeting?
Good Meetings Are Small - Only the people that need to be there show up.
Good Meetings Are Informed - People who have no idea what’s going on, STAY AT YOUR DESK!
Good Meetings Are in Person - Conference calls should be done away with altogether. The more people there are, the more I want to staple my own skin.
Good Meetings Have a Purpose - A meeting should accomplish something people couldn’t on their own. Meetings to get ready for meetings should go to the same place conference calls go.
Good Meetings Contain Minimal Bull - Every good meeting needs someone to stop the conversation from going off the rails if it starts turning into a stupid meeting.
Good Meetings Happen Outside a Conference Room - The most productive ones I’ve been a part of happen at somebody’s desk or at an impromptu table or countertop.
Good Meetings Don’t Include You - If you don’t think most meetings are crap, you’re probably part of the problem. Before you hit accept, ask yourself if the meeting can’t happen without you. If the answer is that it can’t, ask yourself if the objective couldn’t be accomplished with a phone call or an email. Otherwise, don’t attend.
