28 May 2006

Graph of a typical business meeting

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15 comments:

louisjkim said...

Some meetings beg the question, should there have been a "starting point?"

Unknown said...

Well said!

Speedmaster said...

So true, it's scary! ;-)

Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Honey, you're so smart!
Love,
Your Other Girlfriend

Anonymous said...

What about speed meetings, similar to speed dating, but each person get 2 minutes to speak their mind and thats it.

Besides decision makers will usually have made up their mind already. Meetings are really just a way to estimate the lack of consensus.

I think the army had the right idea.

Anonymous said...

A meeting is a corporate cul-de-sac where good ideas are lured and quietly strangled.

I like your drawings Dave, it reminds me of Hugh McCleod.

Unknown said...

Well thank you other girlfriend! :) xo.

I love the idea of speed meetings -- it reminds me of "stand-up meetings" -- the idea being if nobody can sit down we can cover the basics quickly and move on to our day.

Jim: I am flattered by the comparison, thanks!

mitsugomi said...

I was in this business meeting just today!

I threatened to record it and release it as a podcast through the comedy network...

JJeffryes said...

Time to be the voice of dissent...

While it seems useless, all that joking around at the end of the meeting is vital. You may not be exchanging obvious business information, but you ARE exchanging important social information. You're renewing bonds, forging alliances, demonstrating loyalty and doing all the things groups of humans do that are necessary to working together.

Try having meetings with no bonding and relaxing time, and see how fast your business suffers breakdowns in communication, lack of teamwork, and personal rivalries.

Some of the most important information exchanges are the most subtle and inobvious. Human nature knows best, fight it at your own risk!

Unknown said...

I agree Josh -- did you note that jokes were a high point in the graph?

You're not a voice of dissent -- you're misinterpreting the picture.

The issue is not the jokes.

JJeffryes said...

Ah, I suppose I read "logical ending point" as "this is where it should end".

So, how should it be interpreted? The jokes are still much lower than the high point of the meeting, and keep getting lower as time goes on. Doesn't that imply they are less important than the rest of the meeting, and get even less important the longer the joking continues?

If that's not what's being said, I'm not sure the chart is very clear.

Unknown said...

Josh, the whole chart is a joke -- maybe you're overanalyzing

JJeffryes said...

Ah, perhaps that is the case.

Seriously, I had no idea it was a joke. I've seen a lot of stuff out there on speed meetings and cutting out "non-essential" communication, so that's what I took it as.

Maybe if there were more visual cues as to the non-serious nature of the drawing? Cartoon ducks usually work.

:)

Anonymous said...

besides the joke, who told you that the graph should be read from right to left?
...

Unknown said...

I was intending it to read from left to right. I probably need to work on my delivery :S