In a sick, sick, sick [double-sick] celebration of meetings and the ridiculous nature of some of the meetings I and colleagues attend we have decided to continue our tradition of International Meeting Day (IMD for short).It all began last year during a stressful strech of time that we were in more meetings than our actual offices. My (self-declared) witty tendencies led me to start a memo and agenda for the next meeting to plan a meeting while I was still in a planning meeting. This quickly led to a circulated document that grew into several pages as email upon email saw additional items slapped onto the agenda (comedy is just life recognized for what it is). Since we were too busy at work to revist IMD in March I am once again taking it upon myself to be the instigator of all things unprofessional. I am the unofficial IMD co-commissioner, with powers delegated to me by the committee that bestows office powers of influence (over no one).
Portions of last years agenda included, but were not limited to:
2008 Theme: The Perfect Meeting
10:30 Distribution of official “Int’l Meeting Day” cupcakes and Meeting Appreciation session
11:00 Breaking the Ice: Putting the “meet” in Meetings
11:30 How to Avoid Redundancy in Meetings
12:00 Using Technology to Record Meetings for Posterity: Why All Meetings Will Heretofore be Preserved for Your Future Viewing Pleasure
12:30 Conducting Efficient Meetings: Avoiding Repetition
1:00 Proper Attire in Meetings: Why the Clothes Really Do “Make the Woman”
1:30 Using Facilities to Their Best Effects: Where to Conduct Your Meetings
2:00 Budgeting your Time: How to Avoid Deficits
2:30 Breakout Sessions
Group A: Making the Most of Your Meetings: Avoiding “Agenda Overlap”
Group B: Making Your Meetings Efficient: How to Escape the “Redundancy Trap”
Group C: “No, You Can’t Go to the Bathroom!”: Meeting Breaks and the Shortage of “Comfort Facilities”
Group D: Modest Expectations: Avoiding Verbosity and Delusions of Grandeur in Meetings
Group E: The Key to Successful Events: Why It’s Crucial to Have Multiple Meetings
Group F: The Psychology of Togetherness: Why Boredom Alone isn’t Enough Justification for a Meeting
Group G: Business Attire: Why Clothes Really Do “Make the Man”
Group H: Impromptu Meetings: Conducting a Meeting Without Advance Preparation
Group I: Fundraising: How to Pay for Donuts and Coffee
Group J: The “Just One More Thing Syndrome”: How to escape before it manifests itself (via videoconferencing)
Group K: The limits of multi-tasking: Why you shouldn’t lead more than one meeting at a time.
Group L: The Key to Success: Using Plausible Deniability and Inaccountability to your Benefit
2:45 Wrap-up: Discussion leaders summarize the “takeaway points” from each breakout session.
3:00 Action Items: Bugaboo or Benefit?
3:30 Calisthenics
4:00 Strategic Seating: How to Grab the Seat Nearest the Exit
4:30 Snow Removal: Plans for 2008-09 and distribution of emergency shovels and safety flares
5:00 Meeting Agendas: Avoiding Verbosity and Wordiness
5:30 Wrap-up: What We’ve Learned Today
5:55 ½ Assignments for Int’l Meeting Day 2009
4 comments:
I'd like to offer my services and run a break out session this year. I am well-versed in meetings about nothing. My session will be called, "Nothing or Something? How to Make A Meeting About Absolutely Nothing & Waste Everyone's Time In The Process."
I have sat through many such meetings and can provide you with references, if needed.
Ummm...I can think of who needs to attend C, D, E & K.
:) :) :) :)
This makes me miss SJQ A LOT! Hope Int'l Meeting Day 2009 goes well. Make sure that the snow removal team (you know who THEY are) are given the appropriate notice (via a meeting of course) to assemble their meeting on proper snow removal...
Suggestion for an additional breakout session:
Meeting Planning: Why it's totally appropriate to have a strategizing session about a meeting about a meeting at The Meeting
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