What's Wrong with Work?: The 5 Frustrations of Work and How to Fix them for Good

Chapter 1. Frustration 1: Waste-of-Time Meetings

Note

"I think we should have footsteps on the floor"

This is the latest contribution from one of my potential new colleagues at a board meeting for trustees of a local art gallery. I have been invited to attend the meeting on the basis that, if I like it, I might become a trustee and help with the running and strategic planning of the art gallery, which is a few miles from my home in Wiltshire. But at this point in the meeting I have a strong sensation that joining this group of former teachers, yummy mummies and magistrates is going to be a mistake.

We have been sitting around the boardroom table for half an hour discussing how to ensure visitors see the whole gallery and don't get distracted by the sweet smell of chocolate brownies and thus spend most of their visit in the cafe. The only idea which has been proposed and is now being endlessly debated is placing little black footprint stamps on the floor showing patrons where to walk ... and that those little black footprints take them to the upper floors of the gallery before leading them towards the gift shop and cappuccino.

The idea has excited everybody except me, it seems. I have tried to open up the debate to more ideas in the belief that (a) footprints are a bad idea and (b) we should come up with four or five ideas and then debate them, rather than debating one endlessly and never considering alternatives. However, I gave up my attempts to interrupt about 15 minutes ago and am ...