Saying What Needs to Be Said

How many times have you been sitting in a meeting and thinking to yourself, "This Sucks!"?

A million times, a million and ten perhaps. You're sitting and thinking you'd rather poke your eyes out with hot sticks of fire than listen to one more status meeting. You also think a couple other things too, I bet.

You think of how there could be 5 less people there (or in the case of my last job, 15 less people). You think of how at a previous job you tabled topics when the meeting got off track. You think of how switching to every other week would be more productive. I bet you --in your total and sincere boredom-- you think about a lot of solutions in addition to those hot sticks of fire.

But you don't say any of this out loud. Why not? I guarantee you EVERY OTHER PERSON in that meeting is thinking similar thoughts. And no one is saying anything out loud to solve it.

Speak up! Be the catalyst to better-ness!

Things will never change if we change the world inside our heads yet do absolutely nothing out loud. Our method of communication - or- lack thereof, is what sets us apart.

Everyone wants improvement, even the curmudgeons who seem stuck in the past. You just have to have some guts to say out loud what is going on your head. Even if nothing changes, you've made it clear to the others that you're thinking about ways to improve.

Suggest less people. Suggest shorter time or frequency. Suggest an agenda. Suggest killing the meeting. Suggest having it only when something big needs to be discussed. Suggest your team not email anyone who sits within 5 feet. Suggest no emails after 3 pm or on Fridays. Suggest a status where everyone stands. These are obvious ones.

Who knows what hell can break loose if you put your mind to really, really thinking about what can be improved around your department & your company.

You are obliged by the position you hold to strive to improve what's not working.