Friday Five Another meeting

Reverend mother brings us the following Friday Five at RGPBs:

In honor of a couple of marathon meetings I attended this week:

1. What's your view of meetings? Choose one or more, or make up your own:

a) When they're good, they're good. I love the feeling of people working well together on a common goal.

b) I don't seek them out, but I recognize them as a necessary part of life.

c) The only good meeting is a canceled meeting.

And my answer is a). It also depends on if I have had marathon meetings or how tired I am from a lot of work or feeling time crunched.

2. Do you like some amount of community building or conversation, or are you all business?

I really prefer some community building, spiritual practices, etc along with the business. Holy Work as the Bishop likes to call it.

3. How do you feel about leading meetings? Share any particular strengths or weaknesses you have in this area.

Is this a loaded question or what? I tend to be put in charge of meetings, groups, clubs. I like to keep it simple. I like to involve everybody.

4. Have you ever participated in a virtual meeting? (conference call, IM, chat, etc.) Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

What do you think of this format?

I think it is helpful for people who are long distances from each other to meet and get whatever work they need to get done, done. It does keep idle chatter down and going on and on about some subject. It can feel a little disconnected and a lot so if you don't know each other or haven't met before. I think that conferences, bigger districts, and the larger church, committees could utilize it to cut down on travel time, gas costs, long meetings, etc. Are there drawbacks, certainly, there is to it either way it goes.

5. Share a story of a memorable meeting you attended.

You know I am sure there is one somewhere, but I am not drawing it up this morning.

Bonus question: pet peeves about meetings?

People talking over each other and not listening.

Not knowing the agenda, and at the same time there is a hidden agenda.

People who domineer.

People who don't talk, but then when the meeting is done, complain to others.

People who take confidential matter out of meetings and tell others that information.

People who don't come at all after saying that they would be on a particular committee.

Leaders who let people talk on and on, or let the talk get off the particular agenda item to go towho knows where.

Leaders who lead the meeting in such a way that people don't feel like they can give input.

Leaders who are not leaders.

Meetings that go over time.

Meetings that get started really really late.

Uncomfortable surroundings.

No bathrooms available.

No drink(ie water, coffee or tea) available.

Meetings that meet just to meet and accomplish nothing.

Meetings that meet to decide something, but either don't decide or decide to do something and then don't follow through.

No meetings when a meeting is needed.

Things being decided outside or before the meeting and yet there still is a meeting.

Conflictual meetings. And by that I mean unhealthy conflict.

Things I like:

Knowing the agenda, knowing the goals, knowing the vision. Some time to converse before or after and not just about the meeting issues. Time in meetings to seek God's will, centering, quiet, scripture reading. I like the feeling of accomplishment. I like the feeling of people working together. I like leaders who can hold the tension or listening and leading and guiding and keeping the meeting on track. I like laughter and fun in meetings. I like it when people give each other honest answers, but also have affirming things to say to each other. I like it when insights come, or people have God speak to them or they feel led to do something and they volunteer or suggest we need to be starting or doing a ministry. Or we need to stop, wait and listen for God. I like meetings that accomplish what they came to do and that there is follow through.

What about you?