Signs That Your Meetings Need an Overhaul

• Everyone walks into the conference room with a glazed look on their face. People quickly sit down in chairs and zone out. As the meeting progresses, they further slump in their chairs. This shows their digression in attention and brain wave activity.

• You have had the same meeting over and over each week for the last 20 years. Repetition can be bad because people mentally check out if they get bored.

• People habitually come late or make excuses why they can’t be at the meeting.

• Nobody remembers what was said at the meeting a week later and little action is ever taken on what was discussed.

• A co-worker presents an idea during the meeting, and the owner or a top manager says in a stern tone, “That will never work. We’ve already thought of that before. Anybody else have any better ideas?”

• One person takes over the meeting and nobody else ever gets a moment of air time to speak.

• A number of people roll their eyes and yawn several times throughout the meeting.

• Employees hear a meeting announcement and suddenly everyone has to go to the bathroom at once.

• Everyone sits around the table with their hands crossed over their chest.

• No one ever smiles or laughs by the end of the meeting.

• Few if any workable solutions come from the meeting.

• Employees are so bored that they would rather be sitting in traffic.

• Management and workers develop exciting ideas, but nobody comes away with specific assignments to put those ideas into practice.

• The top dog gives his suggestion and then everyone takes turns kissing up explaining why they think it is sheer genius.