Workplace Challenges
Chance meetingsMost workers would agree that meetings tend to be hit or miss at best. While some find them too long, others claim they are a complete waste of time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Meetings can be both efficient and a lot of fun. Ariane Gagné |
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 [ 2007-03-05 ] |
Believe it or not, workers have not always bemoaned meetings the way they do today. According to Johanne Deschamps, manager of educational services at the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ), meetings got their bad name during the nineties. “At that time, companies were undergoing a lot of change and restructuring, and employees were consulted about every little thing. The problem is that they never found out what came of their suggestions,” explains Deschamps. That’s when meetingitis, the insidious disease that sucks up time and causes a rash of frustration, first reared its ugly head.
As a response to this outbreak, the best practices of effective meetings multiplied. Though relevant, these new strategies haven’t been able to restore meetings to their former glory. And yet, despite their bad rep, meetings can be very useful.
Social benefits
Though we don’t tend to equate meetings to fun, the board room can be a great place to socialize, points out Marie-Ève Gagné, manager at the National Bank of Canada.
"People come in with their coffees and take a minute to chat with one another. They check in on how the home renovations are coming along or when the baby is due. It’s a good time for people to strike up conversations that aren’t work-related.”
While it’s true that the same camaraderie is often cemented over a cocktail after work, not everyone is able to make it out. In fact, it’s always the same people who can’t go and they often end up having fewer interactions with colleagues. “A team works better if its members have a chance to talk about things,” Gagné stresses.
Café Campus, a cooperative bar in Montreal, holds frequent general assemblies that always start with brunch. These meetings help prevent a divide between the day and night staff, explains coordinator Nancy MacDonald. Plus, it gives the company a chance to understand employee concerns and helps foster a better relationship between staff and management.
Other organizations hold their meetings off site, such as at a restaurant or resort. Jean-Philippe Carrier, a dentist at Clinique dentaire Berthiaume in Chambly, appreciates the value of these events that help him get to know his colleagues better. “Just taking off our lab jackets and meeting in business wear changes the dynamic,” says the dentist.
According to Didier Noyé, author of Réunionite : guide de survie (Meetingitis, a Survival Guide, published by Insep Consulting Éditions, 2005), having a good balance between formal and informal interactions, especially before meetings, can save time in the long run. “It can help you get a better idea of what needs to be discussed at the meeting,” he explains.
At Café Campus, for example, the servers wanted to have a stage built, while the doormen wanted a dance floor. “The brunches gave people a chance to express their opinions. We knew what to expect and what needed to be addressed during meetings to find a solution,” explains MacDonald.
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