MEETINGS – WHO NEEDS THEM?

 It’s a sad fact of life that the minute you decide to get involved in something, someone, somewhere, will decide to call a meeting; at which point, my heart sinks. Given all of the organisations I am involved in I probably average between 10 and 20 meetings a month, in addition to full time work. Not an easy task, and yes, I probably do need to get a life.  It isn’t the meetings however that I mind so much about, as to what is, or isn’t, achieved by attending them. To my mind all meetings should have a clear purpose and focus, with tangible outcomes and timescales, otherwise, why have them at all? We might all just as well sit down for a cup of tea and a cosy chat, which is in itself as good a thing to do when engaging with the local community.

If the intention is merely to inform there are other ways to achieve this. If opinion is sought, as increasingly organisations are required to ‘consult’, then more often than not a survey is used, with precious little response, as in my experience if people are happy with the status quo, then they will let things lie; and if not, they'll certainly find you.   

In raising the issue I readily admit that I’m more of an action person myself; tell me what needs to be done, to what standard, by when, and leave me to get on with it. Provided there isn’t anyone else to put a fly in the ointment, which sadly there often is. I pride myself on delivering on time.

Lest you think this is all moan and groan, I’m writing this as I’ve negotiated yet another lot of traffic to get myself to Taunton, where in a failed attempt to retain a super efficient persona in the public arena, I have other meetings planned around the original one, saving time and petrol. Except that the original meeting has been cancelled, without me being notified.

I run a very tight schedule and do get incredibly frustrated when meetings times, venues and dates are changed with a certain degree of alacrity, and little thought for those attending, and the knock on effects created.

I can think of one organisation I belong to where for some time, due to work commitments, I used to drive a 300 mile round trip every week just to make one 2 hour meeting. Did anyone notice or care, not at all; but for me it was a personal commitment I’d made and felt honour bound to keep. The personal outcome - I shan’t be quite so bothered to bust a gut to get there in future. It may well be cancelled after all.

So the next time I’m asked to either organise a meeting, or attend one, I will be asking why the meeting is being held, (fully expecting the response, ‘We meet every two months regardless’), what it is hoped will be decided or achieved at the meeting, and who is likely to benefit as a result.