The Late, Late Meeting

I am writing this blog while waiting for an 8 a.m. phone meeting to begin. It’s now 4 minutes after the top of the hour and the call organizer has yet to show.

I get it. People are busy, blah, blah, blah. But here’s the thing:

A. My time is being wasted;
B. This is a recurring call. Next time, I’ll know not to show up on time. Or at all.

Both of these points are irritating. And unnecessary. Call me crazy but 8 o’clock meetings should start at, oh, I don’t know, 8 o’clock.

It’s 8:09 a.m. No organizer yet.

Not starting on time seems like a minor point to the non-OCD but it sends the wrong message. It enables late-shows to show late and reinforces their bad habits.

8:13 a.m. Nothing.

The best meetings start on time, end on time and have a little space in between. The coffee shouldn’t get cold. Bring an agenda; Run the agenda; Stay on topic; Move on.

I saw a great comic strip years ago: A bunch of people are filing out of a conference room and a voice is yelling from behind them, “And we’ll keep having these meetings until we figure out why nothing gets done around here!”

8:17 a.m. Nope.

This meeting occurs every other week. Next time, I’ll show late … and I bet I’ll STILL be early!

8:19 a.m. Click.

Bill Farquharson is the president of Aspire For. Contact Bill: 781-934-7036 or bill@aspirefor.com. Bill’s book, "Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How?" will teach you how to be profitable, rebuild a loyal customer base, and get your sales reps selling. More information on that and his other book, "The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever!," can be found on his website, AspireFor.com