Those Wacky Wacky Staff Meetings

You always told me, people don't do what they believe in, they just do what's most convenient, then they repent..."


If you throw a group of people into a room, people with various skills, different amounts of knowledge, different motivations and levels of commitment, and have them discuss common issues and agendas, the results you get can of course, vary.


Throw those same people into the same room on a regular basis, and certain truths in group dynamics emerge. Some people will lead the discussions while others remain silent, either actively or passively listening. Some will become emotionally charged when an issue strikes their interest; others will always seem to be aloof, completely indifferent to discussions, giving the impression they would rather be anywhere than where they currently are.


The quality and importance of staff meetings varies as much as the people involved. I have sat in on meetings where the value of the outcome was definitely enhanced by the power of group thinking; where the sum was noticeably greater than the parts, where the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.


I have also sat in on meetings where the group was so split, or so incompatible, or so poorly led that the results were downright demoralizing. The bottom of an admittedly mediocre state career was a staff meeting where the first agenda item we discussed was to define the meanings of the terms, "in" and "out." When was a person "out" of the office? Was it when they were outside the office proper, down in the breakroom, or did they have to be physically outside? To be "in" did they have to be at their desk? By the end of the discussion the eye rolling going on in the room nearly turned to tears as we never did agree on the definition of the terms but did prove that sometimes the taxpayers don't get their money's worth from state employees.


Now, as the leader of weekly staff meetings along with larger group meetings, I have learned the most important thing is to try and find a way to get everyone in the room actively involved, to create an environment where their input is encouraged at all times. To balance that with keeping everyone on track so the meeting doesn't turn into one long complaint or gossip session, is no easy task to accomplish. With effort, you do get better as you go along. The words Mr. Confident Conference Man, and the Personable People Person, and the Natural Born Leader all now appear bolded on my resume'.


The tone of the meeting is created not only in the chosen agenda items and their presentation, but in the room's ambiance, the mood set, the chemistry between the people involved, the structure of how the "leader" chooses to lead the discussion (do we go around the table and get/force everyone's input or do we create a give and take, free for all set up?), among many other variables.


Staff meetings can be a waste of time. With a desk full of work, often the last thing I want to do is set aside an hour to discuss issues rather than activelywork on them. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind the bigger picture; perhaps by participating in a discussion, an idea that wouldn't have occurred to me will be crystal clear to another. Meetings can be a place to see where the pieces fit together, how something I do, affects another's work and vice versa. Processes and procedures should always be questioned and examined. A group meeting is often the best forum for such an examination.


The attitude one brings into meetings makes a difference. Meetings can be WORK, a waste of time, but they can also be rewarding. To step back from the grind of one's workload to enforce the overall goals of one's group, can be a eye opening, educational experience. OK, it may not be as exciting as being on a speeding bus with Sandra Bullock at the wheel making googly eyes at you, but it can be fulfilling nonetheless. To want to make a difference, to want one's organization to be the best it can be, can be a job within a job. That's something those career conscious creatures long ago figured out how to best use to their benefit, advantage and advancement.