Is it just me....

I think you are absolutely right.

My DS1 as a youngster was chosen to represent the youth of the Parish on the Parish Committee. He used to come home seething from all the blah-blah he had had to put up with. He is still a no-nonsense type today.

When I had to attend meetings at work, I always remembered this and gathered up my courage and often tried to steer the conversation back on track, summarise what was just said and guide the participants into making a decision.

I don't like making my own decisions, but I do need clarity at all times, especially if I'm supposed to be keeping minutes.

Thank heavens that is all behind me now.

My term of office as a school governor is ‘up’ this year and to everyone’s surprise I shall not be doing another 4 years.
Before this last 18 months I probably would’ve done but now I’ve decided to do what I enjoy, rather than what I think I ought to do. It’s very liberating and I wished I’d adopted this mindset years ago?

I worked as admin in a local authority. I was to minute a meeting with heads of department, about 8 were due to attend, 2 turned up on time, after 10 minutes waiting, no phone calls or anything, I cancelled the meeting. The 2 that were there left, I went back to my desk, the others turned up, they been to lunch together, probably colluding. I just said others’ time, including mine was as important as theirs. They weren’t best pleased.

I remember in a previous job going for training - I can't even remember what for - and the 'trainer' started by saying "I'm not here to teach you anything, just to facilitate discussion" at which point the entire room stood up and walked out.

Some seem to just love being on Committees. I have been on many in my working life and now I am just on one where they are all good,pleasant people and we go and have lunch together afterwards. Much more civilised than some of the long winded things I used to be on. Some went for hours and hours and there was invariably someone who brought up a topic which just had to be discussed right at the end of the meeting. Usually a little weasel that no one liked.

I used to be clerk to the governors at a school I worked at, paid the princely sum of around £200 a year for all the pre-meeting and post-meeting work as well as minute taking. Depending on which headteacher was in post this could mean one meeting a term or an abundance of them, with umpteen sub committees. I finally resigned when it had got to the stage of a minimum of 7 committee meetings and a full GB one every month.

Soon after I retired, the post of clerk to the governors was advertised at the school up the road. I considered applying for all of two minutes.

Weren't Betty Boothroy, 91 and Michael Heseltine, 88 thretaened with all kinds of sanctions including their peerages because they did not attend anti-bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment workshops.

Lady Boothroyd was convalescing from major heart surgery and was too ill to attend. Lord Heseltine was in a nursing home recovering from a knee operation.

Next thing we know the Queen will be summoned because she didn't attend a mandatory course on dressing for the occasion.

I used to work in the public sector where they used to insist on having a pre meeting about a meeting they were having the following week. A complete waste of time.

One project I was working on would schedule a meeting for one group of people on the project, and another meeting to tell another group exactly the same thing the next day. The asked me once why I wasn't minuting the second meeting and I pointed out that all I needed to do was change the attendance list! It wasn't even a large meeting, there were only about 5 people there.

Any people wonder why the public sector wastes so much money.

Luckygirl better than being at a physical meeting. At least you were able to zoom out. Webinars can be pretty boring as a lot of it is the bl***ing obvious but if you need the certificate at the end of it not much choice.

I was school Governor and on the PTA at the high school my children attended. The money we raised from quiz night race night and summer family days etc was amazing. We few parents supplied prepared and cooked the food to cater for a couple of hundred who would turn up. The time and money we devoted was because we wanted to support the school.

Pre Covid we would attend our town council meetings in the local hall to discuss community issues. Now my attitude has changed I am 64 now and what time I have is for my family and close friends.

Good for you Luckygirl I am retired now and definitely don't miss those time wasting meetings. Never had the courage to say anything but did a lot of doodling on a notepad !

Thanks Luckgirl. I think might have done the same as you.

In my current job I minute loads of meetings. I doubt anyone every reads them, apart from the action points

It was about a website for governors - instead of telling us what it was, why it was there, how it might be of constructive use, and most importantly how much it might cost us (!) they were going through the site page by page, button by button, explaining which to press for what - talk about stating the b****ing obvious! All that is necessary is to be able to read!

Love the custard meeting!!!

I worked for social services for many years (before jumping off that wheel!) and they were unbelievable - there truly were meetings about meetings.........yawn!

As I have got older I have been more aware of the brevity of life, and I am b*****ed if am going to waste it doing unnecessary stuff!

I was at my daughter’s yesterday, and my son in law came downstairs, headphones cockeyed, to make himself a cup of tea. I asked what he was doing. “ I’m in a meeting “, he said, then proceeded to talk to me for the next ten minutes, with this ‘ drivel’ going on in the background!?

My evening childminding information webinars are currently being delivered via "Teams."
There's no interaction required though, so we can switch our cameras off and just listen. Some colleagues eat their dinner while it's on!

How wonderful Luckygirl because it would have been so much more difficult to exit an actual meeting. With zoom you can just leave, good for you.
Can you give us an idea of the drivel you were listening to please.

I used to cost meetings before I retired. I mentally worked out the hourly rate of everyone attending. It certainly helped me speed them up when chairing.

Yep been there ! Once had an hour long staff meeting ( primary school ) to discuss whether custard should be served to children on the pudding or in a jug on the table !! This was years ago so they probably aren't allowed to pour hot (ish ! ) custard now !

Meetings for meetings sake??

When I think of the hours of my life I wasted.

Good for you?