“He’s got a hangover that would kill a small animal…”
- Any member of our Loyal Band of Idiots, referring to any other member who’d over-imbibed the night before, circa 1987 – 1994
Yes, the Loyal Bank of Idiots went at it hard from time to time, and the hangovers, while difficult back then, are unthinkable now. So, we’ve adjusted behaviors, although we’d prefer you not use the term “grown up…” (shudder).
So, why not recognize the cost of bad meeting hangovers? Most businesses still seem committed to the effects but not willing to address the cause.
Harvard Business Review (you still haven’t subscribed? C’mon, people!) has a great piece titled The Hidden Toll of Meeting Hangovers. (February 12)
The numbers are compelling: 28% of meetings leave employees with “lingering negative effects.” Many last the rest of the day or longer. HBR defines the hangover as “a period of diminished focus, motivation, or productivity following a bad meeting.”
“Leaders, huddle up! Here’s our play: Let’s do something, several times a day that will de-motivate our teams and make them less productive and focused! Cool?” On, two. BREAK!”
Those are the plays we’re calling. 90% of respondents to the study say they suffer bad meeting hangovers. 47% cite weakened relationships with co-workers. 36% vent to others (the dreaded meeting-after-the-meeting) and 27% admitted to doing so (essentially) every time.
Causes:
- Irrelevant topics, Lack of a Clear Agenda or Objectives — dang near 60%
- Poor time management (filling the time with meeting) 53%
- Lack of actionable outcomes or follow-up 48%
I could list a bunch more, but HBR prefers I not republish their stuff without permission…
The average time impact is two hours or longer. Many say they take the effect home. Do we realize the number of dogs being kicked because we run crappy meetings? The SPCA is watching, Difference Makers!
Please read Monday and Tuesday’s posts. Then, reduce the number of attendees at 96.3% of our meetings. Make agenda action plans instead.
Oh, and subscribe to HBR. It will make you a maker of a more significant difference.
One-on-ones tomorrow.
We’ll put a pretty bow on this ugly topic on Friday.
Make it a great day.
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