Bored Meetings

The average office worker wastes 52 minutes a day in “pointless” meetings where they don’t speak, aren’t listened to or are just making up the numbers, according to research by You Brand, a communication coaching programme.

“Many people feel isolated and cut out of meetings, with the biggest complaint being shouted down by louder members of staff,”says Julia Goodman, founder of You Brand.

“Interestingly, more dominant characters say meetings fail because colleagues don’t contribute enough. What people don’t realise is that speaking in the first five minutes of a meeting will make sure they are listened to later.”

In separate research by sandwich chain Subway, bored Londoners revealed strategies to relieve the tedium. The survey of 500 London office staff found that half had asked for a toilet break to escape from a meeting, one in 10 said they had fallen asleep during a meeting, while others checked their mobiles, played word games and flirted to keep themselves amused.

 

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Meetings essentials:

Books and pads
Dictation machines
Office catering
Office tables
Presentation equipment, including flipcharts