Make Meetings Fun

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Make Meetings Fun

Andy Warren

SSC Guru

Points: 119902
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March 25, 2012 at 6:39 am

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Make Meetings Fun
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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 1

I’m curious what things you do to make meetings fun, to make the long march more tolerable?

You've correctly identified the problem with most meetings that I've seen. They're "long marches".

If you want to make a meeting "fun", make sure it's well controlled. Keep people "on the point". Make "status" meetings more like "scrums". "What did you do yesterday? What are you doing today? Have you run into any showstoppers or things that will cause a delay and what are they? Who can you talk to to change that? NEXT!"

Side conversations and long winded discussions on possible solutions should not be included in status meetings. Those should be separate because not everyone has a stake in such detail.

People are busy. Make daily status meetings short and sweet and they'll be "fun" automatically.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Michael Lysons SSCertifiable Points: 6491 More actions · Answer 2

Jeff Moden (3/25/2012)
I’m curious what things you do to make meetings fun, to make the long march more tolerable?
You've correctly identified the problem with most meetings that I've seen. They're "long marches".
If you want to make a meeting "fun", make sure it's well controlled. Keep people "on the point". Make "status" meetings more like "scrums". "What did you do yesterday? What are you doing today? Have you run into any showstoppers or things that will cause a delay and what are they? Who can you talk to to change that? NEXT!"
Side conversations and long winded discussions on possible solutions should not be included in status meetings. Those should be separate because not everyone has a stake in such detail.
People are busy. Make daily status meetings short and sweet and they'll be "fun" automatically.

Best thing you've written.

Ralph Hightower SSCrazy Points: 2843 More actions · Answer 3

A music suggestion for a Friday meeting:

Loverboy "Working for the Weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8G5pBZ5CI

I also agree with Jeff on keeping the meeting "on point and on topic".

Rich Mechaber SSChampion Points: 11130 More actions · Answer 4

I put my hands up in the air sometimes

Saying Ayyyyy-Oh

Too much I/O.

I gotta troubleshoot this query now:

Lines of code are

Full of RBAR.

With apologies to Taio Cruz....

Rich

Ivanova Ten Centuries Points: 1320 More actions · Answer 5

I like the idea of music - way less fattening than pastries 😛

Revenant SSC-Forever Points: 42467 More actions · Answer 6

Ralph Hightower (3/26/2012)
A music suggestion for a Friday meeting:
Loverboy "Working for the Weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8G5pBZ5CI
. . .

That is a good one!

Mike B in AK SSC Eights! Points: 900 More actions · Answer 7

I agree with Jeff on the status meetings. They should be brief and to the point.

For longer meetings, it depends on the topic(s). Long planning meetings where the topic does not, or barely changes, are murder. Frequent get up off your butt moments are a must. Also, make sure to involve the entire group, either by requesting viewpoints or even rotating the lead in the meeting.

For a long meeting with a variety of topics, vary the order of the speakers and subject matter.

In either case for long meetings, I like to inject items to completely change the focus. Something in the team building or just entertaining realm. I find this frees folks from stupor. It also does a reset on the thinking patterns and can often lead to a more robust result.