[FairWitness]

The modern business meeting, however, might better be compared with a funeral, in the sense that you have a gathering of people who are wearing uncomfortable clothing and would rather be somewhere else. The major difference is that most funerals have a definite purpose. Also, nothing is really ever buried in a meeting. An idea may look dead, but it will always reappear at another meeting later on.

I can vouch for the fact that ideas, especially the bad ones, never really die.

[Wright is right!]

"I can vouch for the fact that ideas, especially the bad ones, never really die."

No, they don't. They merely wait for the person who last slew them to not show up at the next meeting. In corporate America, there are a number of reasons for attending any meeting:

1. To show that you are still there. Show up first and wear the darkest suit in the room. This gives you the most power;

2. To kill off any resurrections of ideas you killed off at the last meeting;

3. To move deadlines up. 95% of the work on all projects is done in the last 24 hours before deadlines. If you want it done, insist that it be done in 24 hours;

4. By showing up first, you can be the first to leave; your veto power will stay there, however;

5. To get an entire days work done in the hour that everyone ELSE is in the meeting. You may then leave for the day. This is one of the BEST uses for a meeting I've ever seen.

Remember that "Meetings are events at which the MINUTES are kept and the HOURS ARE LOST." Use this to your advantage.

Michael