Esfand Aashena

Meetings: Frustrating facilitators and annoying attendees

Here's a good article about shenanigans in the conference rooms which like other aspect of living in this economy is in overdrive!

 Meetings: Frustrating facilitators and annoying attendees

All meetings are good in theory. But as every worker knows, few live up to their potential: A leader who distributes a poorly crafted agenda, a colleague who dominates the conversation, a participant who struggles with the projector for 15 minutes while everyone else checks their watches. These and countless other conference room characters can derail almost any gathering.

Here are seven of the biggest meeting offenders, along with advice you can use to avoid becoming one yourself:

Everything is sacred

Another pretending to be busy technique!

My boss actually does this which makes me mad as well as others.

Another way to pretend you're busy is to not to respond to emails and requests right away.  Even if you're only required to say yes or no, wait a few hours before responding!  When there is a deadine wait until the deadline is past and everyone is mad and things have reached crisis points and then respond and approve or disapprove something and save the day!  Or better yet disapprove and raise hell!

Keep plenty of "unread" messages in your Inbox and always pretend you're behind emails!

I actually prefer to respond to emails quickly and people I work with tend to do the same and we work together very well and move things right along but when you have to wait for one person and it seems like the email has been lost in a black hole not much you can do but wait and wait! 

Everything is sacred

BTW isn't the guy's outfit in the photo dashing?!

Everything is sacred

Good point Soosan Khanoom

Bottom line is you have to produce. Internet use or not, long lunches or short, managers know who produces and who does not.

I never have to look busy at work

My job is " get it done at your own time as long as you meet the deadline"  I am free but in a cage at the same time ...... basically if I want to leave early I can but I have to make it up  another day simply because of the nature of the work and the fact that I have a deadline to meet.  Also, while at work, I can go to gym, have two hours lunch break with my coworker and even play games on the computer ...... some of us basically are living in the lab ... it is not 8 to 5 job .... 

and yes there are also days that we have to work like for 18 hours straight to make up for all the games that we played on the computer or all the sweet gossips we shared at our two hours lunch break   ... lol

Well everybody is doing it!

I think everyone is checking the internet these days and I have heard and read stories about companies checking your time spend on internet but how would they pinpoint someone and make him/her the scapegoat?  I don't mean the technology of it but the HR side of selecting one employee over tens or hundreds.

That'd really suck if one were to let go because of internet use.  All of us beloging on i.com would be in trouble!

I remember few years ago one of my shitty bosses (shittier than this one) told me that I'm using too much of my time on internet. I actually wasn't, not more than others anyway.  At first I thought the IT department was checking but then I realized that my monitor was facing a hallway and someone must have snooped on me, maybe even the shitty boss herself.

So in response, I'd minimize the Explorer (or was it Netscape?! ;-) and maximize another application behind it.  Then instead of reading from an article I'd print that article and read it in paper!  Although I had a personal printer at the time but now we have community printers!  

Everything is sacred

Faramarz jan, managers are smarter than that

Few weeks ago, I met a lady who was human resources manager in a priv ate company. She told me of tricks people use to look busy such as opening an Excel file. That is supposed to trick the monirtoring tools. Guess what, these tools count number of key strokes too, at least according to her. So to have an Excel file open for one hour is not good when the person has had only 30 key strokes in all that time.

How to charge your time is another problem!

It used to be that you work and use one charge number for hours worked.  Basically charge 8 hours to the same charge number.

Nowadays corporate America wants you to split your time between dozens of charge numbers and presumably use less on overhead and more on contracts where it can be billed!

Now if you work more on overhead you can end up on the chopping block!  It makes it harder to "look busy"!  It actually will make you look like a fool when you have charged 100% of your time to overhead and are walking fast carrying extra papers in the hallways!  LOL! 

Everything is sacred

How to Keep Busy!

It is interesting to watch how people try to look busy.

First it was walking fast, attending meetings and being on the speakerphone so others can hear you, and lots of papers, files and busy desks. Then in the 90’s with the internet and the rising stock market and stock options, everyone was a day-trader. I used to see people with their backs to the walls and their monitors facing them keeping busy checking stock prices and trading. We know how that all ended!

Nowadays there is hardly any paper or files, phones never ring in Corporate America. People are generally seated in open warehouse-like areas and their screens are totally visible and there is no privacy, only in small conference rooms or kiosks. People sneak in and out and make a few personal calls.

Also IT Departments monitor your browsing. So people tend to stare at their computers motionlessly without really doing anything. But they quietly use their cell phones to check the internet and go to the parking lot to make calls. There is also serious badging that takes place when you go in and out of buildings, or even go to the supply room.

What a way to live a good chunk of your life!

Daniel Saddiqui the guy who got 50 jobs in 50 states

I think he is Iranian and the author of 50 jobs in 50 states.  Here's his book in Amazon and his own website.

Long time ago before settling down and more responsibilities that's what I wanted to do.  Go from job to job like a yelkhi!  Like JJJ except he has one job! 

Everything is sacred

Esfand jaan, you have so many valid points that

I don't know which ones to address.  As far as moving, I remember that exactly 10 years ago,when I was looking for job, I checked a website, and there wrere some desirable jobs but many of them had a footnote that after one year, the job was going to move to some place like Alabama or some other place that I did not want to move.

Thanks for all the good points and as you noted, you just have to do what you have to do. I have a friend who worked in Deli department of high end grocery store before being rehired at the company she was laid off from couple years before.

Moving is not always desireable.

Anahid jaan I think we're in new times when the old clichés of staying ahead of the technologies and re-inventing yourself and working hard don't necessarily apply anymore.  Especially if you're not involved in Technologies that much and think technologies is SUCKS TO CANADA!  What applies is just rolling the dice and see what happens!  You do what you do and respond to whatever happens accordingly.

As far as moving, first of all when you stay somewhere you get to learn your co-workers' patterns and schedules and habits.  For me it is important to be able to take couple of weeks off a year and go visit Iran.  If I move I don't know how the new bosses would react me going to "Iran"!  And then a week here or there to visit JJJ in Romania or Mehico!

I've also seen in my own circle of work that few went to other companies and came back, were lucky enough to be hired back.  Somehow I think it's better to stay and get laid off than go to a new place and get laid off there!  Although in general if you know you're going to get laid off you better look to move fast and furiously!

Other than timing of hiring patterns, age discrimination also plays a role.  With the legions of new graduates entering the job market and year after year not being able to find jobs, there are just way too many of younger workers.  This is becoming a major problem of countries not being able to create jobs for the new workers.  So in this atmosphere companies still rather hire a younger and cheap employee than an older more expensive one.

Bottom line we just have to move on and do what you've got to do to make a living.  I'll go back to working in a restaurant or construction if I have to.  Even going back to Iran as the last resort.  I don't think it'll ever get to that but if it does so what?

Everything is sacred

It's hard out there (even ;-) for a Pimp!

Faramarz jaan I didn't mean to insinuate that people should fake being busy by walking fast in hallways!  That was just a suggestion someone gave this reporter at CBS News.  The reporter is actually a funny guy collecting funny news!

But in reality people do this and other similar items to make themselves look busy.  My personal choice is to keep my desk messy!  I actually like to keep a clean desk but somehow have ended up never cleaning up the desk!  Most of the papers on my desk on months past their use!

Everything is sacred

Very good suggestions Gorbeh Pashmalo

One of your best suggestions is move if you can. During my working years, time and again, I have seen the truth in what you wrote. Example is when Aerospace campanies in California downsized and those who moved to Washington state, not only found jobs but more affordable houses. Another general suggestion is to know the trends in job market. Many jobs such as Manufacturing engineer, purchasing agents, etc. Became more scarce as US companies transferred their manufacturing to other countries. Also hiring patterns in government and private sector and their timing and requirements are all different. Whereas in private a young kid can be thought as highly talented and in demand, that young person with no college degree cannot get a comparable job in government.

things are ekdic indeed!

But if you are a one legged hispanic lesbian with a serious  attitude problem, you can climb a typical US corporate ladder before Faramarz's friend could say "ekdic"! 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

EA: Job Security in America = Girls' Virginity = Extinct!

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

1) Try to be the best in your field,

2) Stay abreast of the latest technological advances in your field,

3) Work hard (60 hours a week),

4) Move to other cities if you can (sometimes educated moves can bring lots of goodies...)

5) Reinvent yourself (I don't mean walk fast...)

6) Market yourself...

Good luck!

بد تر از بد

Esfand Jaan,

The whole corporate scene is bad and has gotten a lot worse since 2000 and a lot of people are hanging on anyway they can.

Back in the days where we used to wear suit and tie to work, there was an Indian guy that was working in another group and as you described always walked fast as if he had something important to do. He used to throw his tie over his left shoulder as he whizzed through the isles as if his motion had created a wind tunnel!

After a while, I figured out his game and every time I saw him, I would ask, “Chandra, how are things today? Any better?”

And he would reply by shaking his head, “Oh no, it is ekdic (hectic!), very ekdic!”

Did any one vote for Hope and Change? Hows it working for you?

I'd like to have some hope for a change.

Democracy and the advance of ideology are two different things?

How is that?  To me they're the same thing.  You win in an election and advance your ideology.  Are you trying to over analyze democracy?! 

Everything is sacred

Esfand jooooon

you poker, you....

Democracy and the advance (push that is) of ideology are two different things. I know us Iranians are masters of everything, but trust me on that one.

Cheers. 

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IRAN FIRST

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Polticial waves are signs of times.

COP jaan it's true that everything is overshadowed by politics but such is the result of living in a democracy.  Or psedo-democracy like the 2009 elections in Iran!  But let's not open that can of worms!  I just wanted to poke you!

As far as elections in US major policies were written in waves of political changes.  For better or worse.  Definately for worse (worst) during W.

Republicans were kicked out of Washington and the power given to Democrats and they established the universal healthcare and paid a heavy price for it.  One would think the Tea Party revolt that was heavily invested in the repeal of healthcare in a mid term election would amount to something.  For my views on the healthcare debate see my blog at the time.

Not many seem to be wanting to repeal the healthcare now that they've had a chance to see what it means in these hard times and keeping a health insurance that is affordable.  Do you know how much is COBRA when you lose your job for one person?  About $700 or more per month.  No spending cuts for the health insurance industry? Let the $700/month become $7000/month?

So now the Tea Party is going to pay a heavy price in the next general elections and lose the little support they had.  Basically looks like major policies are made when Washington has a super majority.  That's when anything can get done.  So let's put back the right super majority back to work in Washington!  

Everything is sacred

Great comment Esfand jan but please explain the beginning of it

 I agree with parts of your comment but I did not get it where you wrote:"Anahid jaan if you mean you're influenced by others who is a "prolific commentator on Huffington Post" and has been blocked before here and now uses multiple IDs on the same threads, don't worry about it! "

Esfand jaan,What did I write that made you think that I am influenced by someone who comments on Huffington but has been blocked here.

کّل اگر طبیب بودی سر خود دوا نمودی!

Anahid jaan if you mean you're influenced by others who is a "prolific commentator on Huffington Post" and has been blocked before here and now uses multiple IDs on the same threads, don't worry about it!

If you're influenced by your own readings of the past then you need to grow and learn from your experiences like you do and did with other lessons you learned in life.

If you're going to stick with the Historical Materialism then you may end up blaming the West for all the ills like Islamic Republic does.  In fact this very economic crisis is welcome news for them to hide their far more shortcomings.

I know what you mean but one can't stay with old beliefs come hell or high water! 

Everything is sacred

Trouble, at least in the US

is that today everything is overshadowed by politics. Policy is made or influenced purely based on ideology and that is bad anywhere for any system.

The political leaders are only interested in scoring points for the next elections and while they are comfortable with their federal pensions and healthcare the rest of the non-partisan country suck eggs.

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IRAN FIRST

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Esfand jan, part of me is sad

and I am personally affected too. Although I don't invest much, whatever little I do has gone down. Also I will be affected many other ways when the ... hits the fan (actually it already has but when more ... hits the fan). I know a bit about economics, so even if I am not affected this week, month or even year, ultimately I will be afected. I am also sad for people who lose their jobs. I have been downsized before as result of economic downturn, so I know how it feels. It is just the teenager who read Materialism tareekhi in me that is smiling mischieviously, otherwise my mid-age self is sad.

Anahid jaan you'll be sad if you were personally affected?

I don't understand why part of you is not sad.  There are millions of people out of work and their homes and out in the the cold with little or no hope they'll ever get back to the lives they once had.

We don't need to be in their situation to feel what it must be like.  We're all doing well until we're faced with problems but when we do our whole world will be crashing down around us.

Everything is sacred

Will be bumpy ride but

but will be interesting and we will learn from it and better systems might emerge. I know I am being too optimistic but it is better.

...

Capitalism's un sustainability doesn't automatically equal socialism (post-capitalism, or what ever you want to call it). The current world crisis of the system opens up new venues for change and improvement, it also creates space for extreme right, and it looks like the extreme right is already way ahead of all progressive forces: organizationally, financially, ...

Hold on tight, it'll be a bumpy ride!

P.S. The debate is about the nature of the system: should it be based on Profit First, or People's Needs First. Any system based on profit accumulation in hands of a few is doomed,  and economic crisis would always be an integral part of it. Our experience with traditional state-'socialism' hasn't been that great either. A new, truly emancipatory path is badly needed.

There has not been a catch all no failure system, yet!

As Mila Kunis recently put it comparing Friends With Benefits with Communism, as she usually did in That 70s Show (so simple and air headedly :-)  "It's like communism -- good in theory, in execution it fails,"

Marx may have been a good Theorician and Philospher but had he been alive and seen where his theory ended up, he'd have joined the Tea Party and support Michelle Bachmann!

Capitalism failed during the Great Depression as Marx would have predicted but it rose again and beat communism all around the world and the remaining communist countries are dirt poor countries of Cuba and North Korea.

Capitalism vs Communism debate is a waste of time.  There needs to be debates about ways to cut spending, raising revenues and living within the means available.

If I were to use an analogy for Government vs Individual houshold budgets, let's compare the defense budget with your car that gets you to work and food and utilities that keeps your food fresh and cheap and the deficit to your credit card bills that you have spent on your car and food.

If you were to cut 50/50 between your car and food which would you cut first?  Presumably food but how long can you go without food?   

Everything is sacred

Bad news all these problems with capitalism

but part of me is not sad.