#8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

These kinds of people are especially drawn to company-wide meetings about health care plans, which serve as a natural ecosystem for them.

Pocket Ninja: Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

These kinds of people are especially drawn to company-wide meetings about health care plans, which serve as a natural ecosystem for them.

Yep. It's not as bad in the small meeting. But for big things being rolled out, like changes to benefits? It's like they expect the CEO or VP of HR to know your personal portfolio.

We've got one person in our managers meetings that offers an opinion on everything, relevant to her job or not. I cannot stand this.

Pisses me off that our GM doesn't tell her to STFU.

costermonger: We've got one person in our managers meetings that offers an opinion on everything, relevant to her job or not. I cannot stand this.

Pisses me off that our GM doesn't tell her to STFU.

Most of the bad meeting types are caused or enabled by #1.

Diogenes: Pocket Ninja: Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

These kinds of people are especially drawn to company-wide meetings about health care plans, which serve as a natural ecosystem for them.

Yep. It's not as bad in the small meeting. But for big things being rolled out, like changes to benefits? It's like they expect the CEO or VP of HR to know your personal portfolio.

My company was acquired by an enormous, multinational corporation a few years back and they flew the CEO out for an introductory town hall meeting from his heavily fortified mountaintop compound in the Andes, and the second question someone got up to ask was why there wasn't healthier food in the vending machines of our local office.

I sh*t you not.

sigdiamond2000: I sh*t you not.

That's tough to beat. A know-it-all nosy biatch in our office complained about a flickering light bulb in the back hallway to a visiting Northern Regional Vice President who is commonly referred to as the Dragon Lady, but she was in a pretty good mood that day. Light bulb continues to flicker 6 months later.

I'd like to add the people on conference calls who don't mute their phone so that we are regularly treated to:

1) vacuum cleaners
2) the sound of doing the dishes
3) dogs
4) and the best, "I love you." "I love you too." "Sh*it, my phone isn't on mute!" [eerie silence]

6) The lunch break obliterator

SOB MUST PAY!!

Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

Or the one that asks every possible question that enters their head, whether the topic has been covered already or not.

Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

"Can I get that in Cornflower Blue?"

What about the "multi-department meeting creator". The one who thinks that we want to hear about the minutiae of other departments. I barely can care what our department does on the macro level. Stop it. We don't care.

And "Sally Sidetrack". That person who ALWAYS like to sidetrack a meeting about her commute, or the recent coupon savings she got.

Or the worst offenders. The quarterly reports where 90% is spent going over the figures so far. Please just email the excel spreadsheet out and have a 5 minute meeting instead of a 2 hour meeting.

How about the passive aggressive boss that wants things to be "planned out" during meetings after all of the decisions have already been made so that he can basically nix all the work we've done and force us to redo things his way.

Marcus Aurelius: Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

Or the one that asks every possible question that enters their head, whether the topic has been covered already or not.

^^^

My internal monologue: "FFS, who the hell cares!"

Paper-pusher problems. Do some real work, leech.

I want to strangle the jerks who feel they can help themselves to the meeting doughnuts even though they don't go to the freaking meetings.

/I wanted that apple fritter, dammit!

Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

#9 - The PowerPoint Verbatim-ator:

This useless specimen makes PowerPoint presentations that are extremely text heavy and then doubles down on his or her time-wasting power by reading, verbatim, the colossal amount of text on each soul-crushing slide.

Don't be the PowerPoint Verbatim-ator. PowerPoint is supposed to complement the presentation, not dominate it. Use slides that have the least amount of text possible and remember people should be paying attention to YOU, not the screen.

I really hate the people who ask questions they already know the answer to. We have one guy that will start a questions with "I don't think everyone here knows so could you tell us about...."

It is his mission in life to help inform the stupid shy people. And waste everyone else's time doing it.

I hate meetings.

Ugh, hate the lunchtime meetings. The worst part about them is the attitude is always "well I know everyone's free then!" so you can't even get out of it claiming you're busy.

I hate meetings where they expect everyone, including the third shifters to show up.

Andromeda: Ugh, hate the lunchtime meetings. The worst part about them is the attitude is always "well I know everyone's free then!" so you can't even get out of it claiming you're busy.

I have a project manager that likes 730am meetings for the same reasons.

Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

I think I hate those people even more at Parent Teacher Night.

The meek moderators make me want to just give up. Please do not take "charge" of a meeting if you are not willing to lead.

Andromeda: Ugh, hate the lunchtime meetings. The worst part about them is the attitude is always "well I know everyone's free then!" so you can't even get out of it claiming you're busy.

Yes you can. Politely inform them that you are paid for 8 hours a day and are entitled to 1 hour break for lunch (at least thats written into my employee guide) that can be taken whenever I choose.

Another and easier way around it just book your calendar (if your company allows others to view your work calendar prior to setting up meetings) for the time you always take lunch as "busy" or "private" and repeat or as long as your company's servers allow.

I'm currently booked from 11 to noon everyday until 2016

JerseyTim: Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

I think I hate those people even more at Parent Teacher Night.

Oh, god. I can only imagine.

"Well our Timmy has these special needs......"

Rev.K: Diogenes: #8 - The self-absorbed person, who asks questions that are very specific to them and eat up meeting time with things the moderator couldn't possibly answer, or have no value to the rest of us.

#9 - The PowerPoint Verbatim-ator:

This useless specimen makes PowerPoint presentations that are extremely text heavy and then doubles down on his or her time-wasting power by reading, verbatim, the colossal amount of text on each soul-crushing slide.

Don't be the PowerPoint Verbatim-ator. PowerPoint is supposed to complement the presentation, not dominate it. Use slides that have the least amount of text possible and remember people should be paying attention to YOU, not the screen.

I deliberately try to derail them, or at least ask stuff that gets them off their bullets.

I can read fine. Have since I was 4.

How about the guy who comes in late and says "Sorry I'm late, I was up all night doing a project, went home and showered, and now I'm back." And then keeps talking about his noble sacrifice when if he'd just done the project when he was supposed to he wouldn't have had to stay up all night.

Diogenes: I deliberately try to derail them, or at least ask stuff that gets them off their bullets.

I can read fine. Have since I was 4.

Good call.

You know how you're dealing with a professional PowerPoint Verbatim-ator?

They say "so, I'm not going to read all the text" and then they read all the text.

#8--the meeting that's called to read everyone a memo that's already been sent in an e-mail. Either don't send the memo or don't call the meeting. Being read to is for story time at the local library.

When I was corporate security manager, I had two rules regarding meetings.

#1 No meetings before 10:00 A.M. or after 3:00 P.M.

#2 Meetings will never be longer than 30 minutes.

As a general rule, meetings are actually counter productive.

/Which type am I?

Rev.K: Good call.

You know how you're dealing with a professional PowerPoint Verbatim-ator?

They say "so, I'm not going to read all the text" and then they read all the text.

Actually, the true professionals will read all the text and then paraphrase what they just read.