Julie Rains has found that few participants tend to dominate and drag out meetings. Who are they?
The Storytellers
They share a story that conveys a concept in a way that traditional methods do not. But they tell and retell the same story, making the same analogy to every new situation that arises.
The Unprepared
Their job, they think, is simply to respond to points in the meeting without forethought. They mistakenly believe that gut reactions are the best and that thoughtful reflection has no place in an action-oriented world.
The Point-Makers
They make strong, well-reasoned cases for certain ideas. Their points could benefit productivity except that they are asserted and restated over and over, over and over.
The Complainers
These employees bring up a past mistake or problem, which may have been relevant at one time but is not pertinent to the discussion at hand. The wrong occurred years ago and root causes that led to the problem have been addressed.
The Detailers
They provide minute details of their work areas at every single meeting. They anticipate and then answer questions that will never be asked.
The Question-Askers
They combine the worst of the unprepared and the detailers as well as the point-makers and complainers. These people seem to be a blank slate in terms of organizational experience and domain knowledge.
Have you ever experienced some of those?
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