Scoring points in meetings

Meetings are expensive. Consider the following costs:

• Salary and benefits paid to attendees
• Infrastructure: phone bill, video conferencing costs, rent etc.
• Other costs: lunch, drinks etc.
  

If meetings do not have clear agendas (is it to take a decision? deep dive on a topic? build relationships?) participants will be guarded in their interactions. In addition to clear agendas, the roles and responsibilities of attendees needs to be clear (why are they here? to learn? to share knowledge? to help connect the dots?).

If agendas and roles are are unclear, almost as if to amuse themselves, the participants will use the meetings to 'score points'. After all, who wants to look clueless in a meeting with their superiors and peers! If allowed to continue, trust is lowered and coalitions for future projects will be harder to build.

Look for meetings where more time is being spent in 'scoring points' than in productive discussions. Terminate the meeting swiftly and reconvene when outcomes are clearly defined.