Survey of 1600 People Reveals 10 Worst Things About Meetings

Richmond, Va., Feb. 28, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1600 people responded to the one-question online survey by GiveMore.com, a company in the business of making meetings better, from February 9-14, 2012. Participants were asked 'What frustrates you most about meetings at work?' and selected from a list of annoyances. Over a quarter of the respondents also submitted their own comments.

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"What was most surprising was the number one annoyance," said Sam Parker, GiveMore.com's co-founder and the bestselling author behind the company's messages. "It's something that can be handled so easily by the leader. Of course, almost all of the points fall into that category."

The top 10 responses were:

• Allowing attendees to ramble and repeat the same comments and thoughts.
• Doesn't start on time, stay on track, or finish on time.
• No specific action items or walk-away points.
• No clear purpose or objective.
• Not inspiring or motivating.
• Not organized. No agenda.
• Too long.
• Repeating information for late arrivals.
• Weak presenter (unprepared, monotone, overly redundant)
• Boring. Nothing new or interesting.

A common complaint was 'having meetings just to have meetings' and leaders losing control by letting attendees dominate, complain and steer the meeting off-course. Unprepared or 'showboating' meeting leaders were also cited as a major annoyance.

Parker suggests using the list as a checklist for better meetings. "It's simple. Respect your attendees by preparing well, communicating well, and valuing your peoples' time. If you're running a meeting, don't do these things that annoy people. You should have one objective -- make your attendees better as a result of being there."

If you're attending a meeting, Parker recommends, "Be a grown-up. Participate. Ask and answer questions and be a part of the discussion. Encourage the leader by being on their team and offering your thoughts and support."

"And remember," says Parker, "few meetings are perfect. Give people the break you'd like to be given."

About GiveMore.com

GiveMore.com creates no-fluff messages and themes to help leaders kick off or support their weekly/monthly/annual meetings, goals, projects, and events.

Its titles include co-founder Sam Parker's two bestselling books – 212 The Extra Degree® and Smile & Move®. Both messages have caught on at thousands of companies, organizations, and schools as a way to encourage extra effort, care, and accountability. Sam's other popular titles are Love Your People®, Cross The Line™, and SalesTough™.

The company was co-founded by Sam Parker and Jim Gould in 1998 and is located in Richmond, Virginia.

You can email Sam directly at [email protected]. If you're slightly more daring, you can call him at (804) 762-4500 ext. 303.

SOURCE GiveMore.com

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