Technical staff don’t like meetings. They actually hate them. They see meetings as a total waste of time, most times avoidable. The situation is normally as follows:
- The manager wants to make a meeting.
- His secretary schedule the meeting and sends an invitation to all the attendees, under the manager’s name.
- The technical attendees accept the meeting with a disgusting look in their faces.
- The meeting takes place. Technical Staff attend thinking in other things they consider more interesting.
- The meeting ends. The results are about 60% less useful than expected.
Obviously, this is not an exact science, but generalization is the mother of statistics. And It’s my point of view, of course.Lately I’ve found an alternative for this. Stand-up meetings. It’s perfect for short meetings, usually related to project issues. Let me define what a Stand-up meeting is:
“Up to 5 people get together around a bar-like table talking about project issues with the objective of taking a decision in less than half an hour. ”
It sounds great!!!! And what’s better, It works!!!! People standing on their feet are more focused in the problem and less distraction prone. At least to be able to sit down again!!!.
Don’t get me wrong. Stand-up meetings shouldn’t substitute formal meetings.
What’s your opinion about this? Would you adopt it?
March 19th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
It’s a good idea. Anyway, we have some bar stools.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
It is a good idea if the meetings are not too long.
If they last like Fidel Castro´s speeches, I bet people will only think of getting out of there and grabbing a chair!
March 19th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
nice picture.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I really like this kind of meetings. But I prefer running meetings overall. It says, a technical team running during 1 hour talking about the problems at the same time.
It is very interesting to see how the problems decrease along time, maybe because you haven’t got enough oxygen to breath. ;-)
Think about it Mr CTO, think about it…
March 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Wooooow! Mr Cristobal, you are really very tall!!!
April 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I think is absolutely correct. In my case, there are only 2 people, so I find what I think is a little better. Go for a walk. In our company office we have a little park outside and is great walk while we comment evertything about the projects.
It’s really imaginative, and the people feels really creative.
Try it if you can!