Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
One of the cardinal rules of stand-up comedy is to never go over your time. If you are told you’ve got 5 minutes, then you have 5 minutes. Not 7 minutes, not 6, not even 5 1/2–it means you have 300 seconds.
So naturally I’ve become accustomed to people respecting that… but that doesn’t always happen at work. It seems like every meeting I’m in goes long because one topic took more time than it was supposed to according to the agenda (and you should have an agenda). There are times when it’s “necessary” to go long and delay other things, but most of the time it’s the result of someone talking too much. To me, even “necessary” discussions should be parked (put in the “parking lot” to be discussed in a follow-up meeting) until the appropriate time (i.e. when you’re not delaying a meeting).
I’ve noticed that this is especially irritating if I’m either the agenda owner for the meeting, or have an agenda topic. Going over your time is a sign of disrespect saying “I don’t care what else we have to cover in the rest of this meeting, what I have to say is more important.” What makes it “fun” is that some (often?) times the person delaying everything is the senior person at the meeting.
So what can we do about these long-winded talkers delaying our meetings? This is where you can apply some a few techniques from the stand-up comedy world:
- Make it clear how much time they have. Let everyone (especially the presenters) know how much time has been allotted for the current topic.
- Have a signal. Decide, before-hand, how you are going to signal to the person that they need to wrap up. In stand-up, the common practice is to use a flashlight at the back of the room. If the comedian gets 15 minutes of stage time, they get a light with 5 minutes remaining, and then again with 1 minute. Tell the presenters what your signal will be and when you will give it to them (e.g. “2 minutes left”).
- Stick to your guns. Be willing to stop people when they’ve gone over their time. Comedians generally get a grace period of 30 seconds to 1 minute. After that, the sound guy cuts the mic. You won’t always have a mic, or control of it, so just speak up and move the meeting along (yes it’s rude to interrupt, but it’s also rude to go over your time).
One important thing to keep in mind is that being firm doesn’t mean being impolite. As long as everyone is clear of the expectations up front, and you approach this in a nice manner, most people will appreciate that you value their time and end the meeting on schedule. It’s also smart to note the topics that you cut off, and review them at the end of the meeting suggesting follow up discussions should take place to adequately cover them.
And if this terrifies you, don’t worry. You’ll only have to do it once or twice before Pavlov takes over and everyone knows that they must end on time. Not only does this make your job easier, but people learn to truly respect the time on the agenda, and you for running efficient meetings.
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
Comments
03.24.09
Drew great post, as a stand up, one of my beefs is folks that don't have timed out sets. I recently posted some things I've learned from comedy that apply to work on my blog: http://humanresourcespufnstuf.wordpress.com/
03.25.09
Great post! Here are some of the things I used to do when I ran meetings (I don't so much anymore since I moved down a notch on the corporate food chain).
When you are running the meeting:
-
Have an agenda. Make sure everyone has a copy of the agenda. Make sure the agenda items are specific, not vague. For example "Determine the date of the new system implementation" instead of "Discuss the system implementation".
Tell everyone up front that the meeting is on a tight schedule. Say "We've got a lot to cover here, so let's get going" This then softens the blow if you have to interrupt someone later.
Don't be afraid to interrupt when an agenda item runs long, or goes off track. If you have prepared everyone up front for this, then people shouldn't be offended.
At the end of the meeting, present a list of action items, including those items that require more discussion. This throws a bone to those who you might have interrupted, assuring them that they will get their say.
03.25.09
Sorry about the formatting of the above post. I meant for a portion of the post to be an ordered list, but I apparently messed up the HTML
03.25.09
Jimmy- thanks! I'll take a look.
Scott- those are some great tips for running an effective meeting, the agenda is key. The only thing I would add is to have someone take notes--this makes recapping the meeting easy, and captures action items throughout the meeting.
Interestingly I listed most of those steps in an external post: http://www.humorthatworks.com/learning/have-more-productive-meetings-in-...
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
