Was the primary purpose of the last meeting in your office to discuss the time, place and format of the next meeting?

How much time do you spend in work-related meetings? An hour a day? Two? Do you have a supervisory-type job that requires you to attend, or chair, several meeting a day? Sometimes, maybe it is nothing but meetings following other meetings. And just how important are they?

Is the nation stronger, healthier, safer because of what happens (or not) in your meetings?

I ask because I talked to a youngish lawyer the other day who moved into government about two years ago. He came from an association that represents consumers. He likes the job, like the feds he works with. He says they are as good as, and in some cases, better than the lawyers at his old place. He likes the department’s mission and says if he does take another job, it will most likely be in government. All is great. But …

His biggest surprise after going into government, he said, was how long it takes to get things done — compared to his previous job — and the layers of editing and approval his work goes through before it receives final approval. That includes a number of meetings he is required to attend.

One day, for example, the group agreed that a copying machine would be better if it was in another room.

At his former job, he said, that would have required four strong people to unplug it and move it to another room. Twenty minutes, tops.

At his federal office, however, he said it took three weeks. Maybe 20 minutes was a bit hasty, but three weeks, seriously?

“I didn’t track the meetings when I first came to XXXXX,” he said. “But I noticed that over time, we were having more and more. We went from one a day, which got longer and longer as time went on, to sometimes several a week. Sometimes several a day. Depending on how many people were at the meeting … the agenda and whether everyone thought they needed to say something, it takes a lot of my workday. And it isn’t getting any better.”

Thoughts?

Have you been in the private sector, then switched to government? Or did you go from being a G-man-woman-person to the contractor or consulting world? What differences did you find? What surprised or shocked you? What was the upside? Send your tale of the office to me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

Source: Listverse

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