Comments on: What meetings can learn from parties

By: Jeff Steinke

Jeff Steinke — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:18:49 +0000

Exactly. One of the biggest problems I see with meetings is that waaaaay too many people are invited who shouldn’t be there. So, similar to Ender’s problem of being surrounded at a concert by people who had no business being there, a bunch of people who don’t belong in a particular meeting are only going to bring it down (e.g. ask for extra clarification, take agenda off track, etc), not to mention waste more of the company’s $$.

By: Steve Sammartino

Steve Sammartino — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:30:01 +0000

Yep agree Ender, and you’ve taken this post to the next level. I probably should have added the fact that meetings just shouldn’t happen unless we all know their will be a desire to be on the invite list. Most often some kind of memo would do just fine.

Steve.

By: Ender Baskan

Ender Baskan — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:19:37 +0000

Another good one steve.
But can we just simplify the thing… most people are at parties because they want to be, whereas most people at meetings dont want to be there. The success of the thing is settled before it even happens.
Usually the majority of people at a meeting have got something to hide or nothing to give. Usually its about stuff they truly do not care about.

I had the thought at the last concert I went to. I was up near the front, big crowd, and I was the only one around me who knew the words to the songs, the only one who knew the b-sides. The rest of the crowd were there just to tell their mates, they weren’t invested in it, and that really rubbed off on me. I was looking for a stranger to high fives, to wink at, to have some untold bond with… but it totally didnt happen.
The gig wasn’t a memorable one when it totally should’ve been, I’d been waiting 10 years for the moment. Because their weren’t enough people who truly gave a shit.

By: Sean Callanan (@seancallanan)

Sean Callanan (@seancallanan) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:46:06 +0000

Another way meetings can learn from parties is just standing up. Have you ever enforced a standing only meeting? Always goes quicker & less meandering. Never been to a good party where everyone is sitting down.

By: Don Shaw

Don Shaw — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:19:34 +0000

Most parties, like most meetings have an agenda and that really sets the tone of the party/meeting. If it’s a celebratory party people already know what they are celebrating. If it’s wake, the same applies. Meetings also have positive and negative agendas.

By the same token some of the best parties, and meetings I have attended have been impromptu affairs where a one on one conversation has expanded and been extremely productive.

I like the analogy, it works for me.

By: Stephen Ellis

Stephen Ellis — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:08:22 +0000

Important to add we look forward to parties because we know we’re going to have a good time. In meeting terms, get what we expect and make us feel good. A good meeting should do the same.

Another great post Steve.

- Steve