A survey of 1,216 American workers conducted recently by Interactive Meeting Solutions, a meeting facilitation firm in California, found that about a third of the workforce says that many of the meetings they attend each week are a “complete waste of time.”
Other findings to ponder as you fight to stay awake during your next staff meeting:
– Midwesterners nod off the most. In the Midwest, 42 percent of meetinggoers say they’ve seen someone doze off.
– Electronics help. Of the workers surveyed, 8 percent admit to playing electronic games during a company meeting. It’s 14 percent among workers 18 to 24 years old. Some admitted they’ve arranged for a co-worker to give them a bogus page or cell phone call to get out of a meeting.
– Big companies bore more. About 38 percent of large company workers say the meetings they attend are “pretty boring” compared with 25 percent of small company workers.
– The “pointless” factor. At large-company meetings, 50 percent say that really important decisions are rarely made. Only 32 percent of small-company workers said the same thing.
– Beware the bully. More than half of workers–55 percent–say that one or more “meeting bullies” tend to dominate the meetings they attend.
– Watch your mouth. Almost a third of workers say that if people said what they really thought at their work-related meetings, they would probably get fired.
TELL RITA
Rita RedEye wants to hear from you.
Tell Rita about a “meeting from hell” experience you’ve had
during your career. We’ll publish the best.
E-mail us at
ritaredeye@tribune.com.
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Edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and alBerto Trevino (atrevino@tribune.com)
