How long was the longest meeting you were ever in?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:05:45 -0500

How long was the longest meeting you ever were in? What was it?

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Mar 2 at 2015 9:11 PM

SGT Jim Z. — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:11:05 -0500

8 hour teleconference trouble shooting call

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2015 9:24 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:24:58 -0500

I had one about a new building the first fifteen minutes was arguing how the Soldiers would dry their hands. Paper towels vs. Dyson or Mitsubishi hand dryers.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Mar 2 at 2015 9:42 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:42:22 -0500

12 days. (No this is not a joke or an an exaggeration. We started it one day. Finished, started up the meeting the next morning. etc).

I was with an Organization called the MAGTF Staff Training Program. We did nothing but "Meetings." Meetings about Meetings, and Meetings about Meetings about Meetings. I even gave a class about how we were in too many #$%#^ meetings!

When I got out, and was higher up in a Company organization (essentially #2~ in the company), I had a rule. I didn't go to meetings unless my boss did. If the information couldn't be conveyed via phone conversation, or an email, it sure as hell wouldn't be conveyed with 6 people sitting around a table. The guys who worked for me, got a 5 minute "azimuth check" before operations first thing in the morning, and I did one-offs with each person as needed through out the day, but I avoided meetings.

It has been my experience (others may vary), that most meetings are a colossal waste of time. That isn't to say I didn't meet with people, but any more than could sit reasonably at a lunch table didn't make sense. Too much cross talk, too much loss of focus, too much "I'll get back to you" or "Bob has that for action."

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Mar 2 at 2015 9:51 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:51:47 -0500

So... as an aside, if anyone is ever tasked with getting lunch for a "Meeting" or a "Conference" I'm going to teach you a trick (2 actually). Here is what you do.

You announce to the room:

"I am going out to get a bag full of tacos. Would anyone like any?"

When the first person responds with anything other than Yes or No, you say "You misunderstood. I am getting Tacos. A bag full. It is merely a question of how many you want. No special orders. I'm not tracking anything. I'm going to tally it all up, add 10% to be safe and come back with X tacos. Who's in?"

The second option is to count the people, multiple by 3 and go to McDonalds. Half Hamburgers, half Cheeseburgers, and 2 Large fries per person. Vegetarians/Vegans tend to bring their own food, but you can do a 1/10 or 1/5 swag and pick up salads if you want.

Response by SPC Christopher Green made Mar 2 at 2015 9:59 PM

SPC Christopher Green — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:59:10 -0500

6 hours as a civilian. What was it you ask? I only could pay attention for about 40 minutes. The rest I have blocked from my memory. From what I do remember, it had something to do about Federal funding percentages. It had absolutely nothing to do with my job but all senior executives had to attend.. Want me to zone out on you? Start talking money and numbers.

It was so bad that even our CFO and I agreed after the meeting that suicide was a serious consideration after hour two. Our CEO the time was a rambling gasbag who had no concept of brevity equalling wit. He could not not repeat himself. By hour three, he was repeating the crap that he already addressed in hours one and two. Then he'd move on a bit and bring up the first thing he said at the beginning of the day.

The absolute worst that we had some vile lunch brought in at around 1:30 p.m.. Of course from 12 to one was him asking questions about the pros and cons of each restaurant suggested by the staff.

Plus, there's always the end-of-the-meeting-do-you-have-any-questions-or-comments portion. The staff only had enough functioning brain cells in order to keep the most basic of life sustaining bodily functions operating by that time so the only responses to that question was a slow shaking of the head and a low-pitched "no".

Now, you're probably thinking we got to leave. Au Contraire, the H.R. person after all of that, decides to ask a question on a wholly unrelated matter that only dealt with her department. Well, we got to hear him ramble on for yet another hour.

We put a hit on her the next day.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2015 10:30 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 22:30:10 -0500

I once briefed a set of navy O5s and O6s for about 2.5-3 hours plus questions.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 1:44 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:44:23 -0500

I was at JRTC, had 5 meetings back to back but it had all the same attendees. So it was really one meeting; after 6 hours and a list of tasks to accomplish I suggested we take a break so we could get stuff done. My advise was taken so well but we did. It seemed we were talking about things with suspenses that were elapsing during the meeting.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 12:42 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 12:42:39 -0500

Have you ever gotten to the point where you will come up with any excuse, mind you ANY just to get out of there? Yeah.....me neither. ;)

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2015 10:05 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 10:05:59 -0500

Response by Maj Matt Hylton made Mar 5 at 2015 10:15 AM

Maj Matt Hylton — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 10:15:17 -0500

Other - 2 Days

Critical Design Review for the SBIRS Program HEO satellite. (SBIRS = Space Based Infrared Systems / HEO = Highly Elliptical Orbit).

It was held at the prime contractor facility and consisted of basically stepping through all levels of the design of the satellite hardware and software. It included all testing and design up to that point as well as measurement of notional performance and ability to satisfy all system level requirements.

It took a lot of coffee. Of course, I'm an acquisitions officer, so my life is mostly meetings.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Mar 5 at 2015 12:21 PM

Maj Chris Nelson — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 12:21:16 -0500

There was one meeting here....has been awhile ago...the first 4-5 hours ran well after duty hours...only 1/2 the material covered, so commander closed down at that point and re-convened the next day for another 3-4 hours.... PERSONALLY, I don't see the benefit to that kind of a meeting.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Mar 5 at 2015 1:38 PM

PO2 Steven Erickson — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:38:53 -0500

It was an exercise development meeting called an "Initial Planning Conference" or IPC. Everybody and their brother needed to state their objectives for the upcoming exercise.

Since I was the one assigned to "facilitate" running the thing, I had to stay for the entire 8 hours and 26 minutes.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2015 9:21 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 21:21:44 -0500

I used to say "If this meeting lasts more than four hours, I'll have to call my doctor.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Mar 7 at 2015 10:10 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 22:10:11 -0500

I have been a PL, HHD XO, Rear Det Commander, and a High School Teacher. It wouldn't have been a work week without be a week without a mind-numbingly long meeting that could have been addressed in a 1 page Email.