We all complain about meetings. We have too many. They’re a waste of time. Nothing gets done. These complaints often have merit, but they are so broad that they’re difficult to argue with and harder to address.
5 Common Complaints About Meetings and What to Do About Them
While most complaints about meetings have merit, they can be difficult to tackle if they are vague. However, there are specific grievances that anyone can take steps to address. Here are five of the most common: (1) One or two people dominate the conversation and no one does anything about it. (2) My boss doesn’t lead meetings effectively. (3) Most of our meetings are just passing along information that could easily be sent in an email. (4) No one is paying attention because they’re on their phones or laptops. (5) We keep having the same conversations because nothing gets done between meetings. You don’t have to be the meeting leader to take action. For example, if you’re tired of attending a meeting that is just a series of updates, you can offer to canvas the team each week and develop a list of topics for the meeting agenda that will require real-time problem solving. Or, if people are distracted by their phones, propose a “no devices” rule.