SURVEY SAYS: How Do You Deal With A Boring Meeting?

But there are times when, no matter how boring the meeting is, you have to be there – and you have to at least appear to be paying attention.   This week we asked readers their secret(s) for staying attentive – or at least awake – for a boring meeting.

“I cannot WAIT until I can find out some secrets tomorrow. I’ll put them to use on Monday!”  noted one of this week’s respondents.

As you might imagine, tabulating this week’s responses was a bit of a challenge.   But, allowing for some editorial discretion in the compilation, the most common approach utilized by this week’s respondents (nearly 27% ) might be categorized as “faking it,” pretending to be interested and engaged, generally by tilting one’s head so that the eyes can close occasionally, as well as the careful propping of head and elbows.  “Rest your elbows on the chair arms and have your hands comfortably up in the air,” counseled one.  “When you begin to sleep, your arms will fall, waking you up.”  Another “student” of the science of faking it said, “If the meeting was big enough, I’d put my pen in my hand and put it on a piece of paper, then rest my forehead in the other hand and look down at the page.   That way if I started to fall asleep, which was almost guaranteed, at least my head wouldn’t be bobbing around.”   

Another “expert” noted, “I have learned over time how to look like I’m listening while daydreaming about other things.   I make sure to look at the speaker periodically and watch my nonverbals.   Doesn’t mean I’ve heard a thing.”  Another said, “I watch the crowd and use eyeball- to-eyeball contact to redirect the attention of other bored meeting members to the one who is nodding or sleeping while thinking of an on-topic but unanswerable question for the person who called this unnecessary meeting.”   One noted, “I force myself to sit up very straight, shoulders back and not resting my back against the chair or my elbows on the conference table.   I stay awake and alert, and people think I have good posture.”   Some readers have honed these “skills” over many years, such as the reader who said, “My secret to ‘attentiveness’ is something learned in middle school: bring paper, a writing utensil, and sit next to someone sociable.   We appear to be taking notes; in reality, we’re discussing lunch, weekend activity, and probably how boring the meeting is.”

In fact, taking notes was the third most popular category, cited by more than 12% .  “No matter how boring, it’s hard to fall asleep while you’re writing,” commented one.   “If I can get away with it, I bring other work that I need to do, giving the impression that I am taking notes,” said another.   In a comment that will no doubt chill public speakers everywhere, one note taker said, “Even if the notes have nothing to do with the meeting, I must take notes to keep from passing out.   For instance, I might make a grocery list.   Many times I believe I have given the speaker a rush of confidence and validation when he has looked at the excitement on my face as I nod and write on my note pad, “Toilet paper – must pick up some TP before going home tonight!”

However, more popular than note taking was ingesting stimulants – generally coffee – cited by 17% .   For those who think this is a fairly sedate alternative, consider the reader who said, “To remain alert during boring meetings I balance a cup of hot coffee on my thigh.   Seriously.”   To which I would say there is no other way to do it.   Another said, “Drink a lot.   Water, coffee, whatever is available.   If I feel like I have to use the ladies’ room, it’s impossible for me to fall asleep.   This only works, however, for meetings that are under two hours, or meetings that have breaks scheduled at least every two hours.   Otherwise, this strategy is just a biohazard.”

That same reader also offered an alternative to the alternative: “Start singing a really annoying song to yourself.   One of those songs that you just can’t get out of your head.   Like ‘Can’t Touch This’ or ‘Ice Ice Baby.’   In a pinch, the Peanuts theme song works well, too, but you sometimes wind up with a goofy grin on your face or bopping your head involuntarily.” 

Roughly 10% each succumbed to making to do lists, doodling, or the “allure” of technology.   In the latter category, one noted, “To stay awake in boring meetings, I often play Yahtzee on my PDA (with the sound off)!”  Another more pointedly observed, “Isn’t that why the ‘crackberry’ was invented?”   Nearly 8% did “other” work in the meeting (some did it on their laptops during the meeting), and 5% “fantasized.”  “If I’m hearing something that I don’t want to hear and that is upsetting, I sometimes press my index finger insistently on whatever hard, flat surface is in front of me – pushing the imaginary button that activates the hidden trap door that is under whomever is making the unpleasant announcement. A very cathartic flight of fancy!” noted one.

Believe it or not, nearly 3% of this week’s respondents dealt with a boring meeting – by trying really hard to pay attention.  “One of the most important things I learned in college is that if I sit front and center (or in the direct site line of the speaker), and make eye contact with the speaker, not only do I stay awake, I pay attention!” said one.

There were a number of creative alternatives suggested.   Here’s a sampling:

“When desperate, I’ll try and estimate what the meeting’s ‘cost’ is based on each attendees’ guesstimated salary pro-rated for the amount of time the meeting lasts.   It’s sort of an EVA calculation to confirm my disdain for being there in the first place!”

“I have found that virtually all presenters have a ‘crutch word’ that they tend to use more than they should.   I occasionally have to listen to one speaker who seems to say ‘vis-à-vis’ in every other sentence.   Really, how many times can that phrase be the single best choice of words in a 15-minute period?   So, counting people’s crutch words is perhaps my favorite way to stay awake.”

“The euphoric expectation that my incredible concentration and understanding will qualify me for an exponentially higher pay raise than the guy next to me who is asleep.”

Those interested in a making-a-boring-meeting-productive primer will appreciate the following:

1. Always sit strategically at the table/in the meeting room so others can’t see what you are writing or reading.  

2. Never take just a tablet, take a portfolio that holds a tablet on one side and a pocket for reading material on the other.

3. I take other memos or just reading material I need to get through.   I’ve even made photocopies of newspaper/magazine articles to read so I can mix them among presentation material.

4. Boring meetings are a great time to make “to do” lists.   I’ve made work to-do lists, grocery lists, weekend to-do lists, Christmas lists, goals for my life lists, you name it.   It just looks like you are taking notes during the meeting.   If you are working with numbers during your meeting, this is a great time for working on your own personal budget, especially if you have a calculator with you.

5. Always make sure, if possible, to make one comment or ask one question so you don’t look totally tuned out. Otherwise, at some point during the meeting, make some eye contact with the presenters and other meeting attendees (if you are sitting at a table) and do some head nods that you are agreeing with what they are saying.

But this week’s Editor’s Choice – from what was undoubtedly one of the most competitive weeks ever – goes to the reader whose best way to deal with boring meetings was “Clearly, the best solution is ‘don’t go!'”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey! 

Recognizing the reality of this helps one stay awake.   Wasting time listening means at least you did not waste time preparing to cause others to waste time listening.   There needs to be a light at the end of the tunnel that is not a train -- notices of meeting start times should be accompanied by a stop time so everyone knows what they should expect to have to endure.

Staying awake at boring meetings.....isn't that why the "crackberry" was invented?

Taking lots of notes.   No matter how boring, it's hard to fall asleep while you're writing.  

Staying awake is very, very tough. I write to-do lists or, if desperate, doodle.

Let's see ... if the meeting was big enough, I'd put my pen in my hand and put it on a piece of paper, then rest my forehead in the other hand and look down at the page.   That way if I started to fall asleep, which was almost guaranteed, at least my head wouldn't be bobbing around.   If the meeting is a small group, I make a lot of trips to "get coffee" and "go to the ladies" room.   Both of which were excuses to walk around in the hallway.

I have found that virtually all presenters have a "crutch word" that they tend to use more than they should.   I occasionally have to listen to one speaker who seems to say "vis a vis" in every other sentence.   Really, how many times can that phrase be the single best choice of words in a 15 minute period?   So, counting people's crutch words is perhaps my favorite way to stay awake.

It's also not all that different (although much less obvious) than "meeting bingo," where you create a bingo board with all of the great business buzz words of the day -- first one to get "synergy," "out of the box," "organic growth," "rightsizing," and "robust" wins!

The key to surviving meetings is taking ridiculously thorough notes. Then, when I return to my desk, I can figure out what I should have learned from the last hour while my mind was vacationing.

Great question, if I can get away with it, I bring other work that I need to do, giving the impression that I am taking notes.   Sometimes, I just completely tune out and think of other things, try not to look at my watch, shift positions often, anything to stay away.   The bigger issue here is that boring people should not be allowed to give boring presentations.   Even better...........face reality, not everyone should be allowed to give presentations; there is an art to this.   Presentations should also be limited to at maximum 40 minutes, reduce the number of slides (if projecting a PowerPoint) and reduce the amount of information on the slide.   There is nothing worse than listening to a presenter read all the information on the slide, that being the case, why have the meeting, just send the presentation ahead of time and call in a Q&A session after.

I take notes - which I like to think engages me mentally and physically.

I try not to eat a lot during the lunch break and drink cold caffeinated sodas instead of coffee or tea. Then just drink ice water. We also try to take 5-10 minute breaks between speakers or presenters, to let board members get up, stretch, take a quick walk, which all seems to help.   It must really be frustrating to managers that travel across the country for their 30-40 minute presentation, only to have several people at the board table dozing while they're speaking.

Taking notes, which is good idea anyway because sometimes you actually hear something that matters.

What's your "secret" for staying attentive (or at least awake) for a boring meeting?

Fantasizing

I don't have a "secret".   Why do I need one?   If it's a boring meeting, but I must attend, my time is better served sleeping.   I do try to make sure I am seated so my head doesn't fall back...snoring would be impolite to those around me, who are also probably trying to sleep.

I doodle on my note pad and make it appear that I'm taking notes!

I take good, detailed notes.   Keeps me occupied so I'm not tempted to daydream or drift off...

I force myself to sit up very straight, shoulders back and not resting my back against the chair or my elbows on the conference table.   I stay awake and alert and people think I have good posture.

Now that's a survey question I can answer.   I am the queen of multitasking.

I take my laptop and when the topic is being beaten to death, I work on other projects or answer emails.   Thank g_d for the network connections in our conference rooms!!!

I try to take a lot of notes, even if I won't really need them.   My theory is, I can't fall asleep while writing.   Sometimes the "notes" are my shopping list or things I need to get done.   On the other hand, I do remember one particularly long, sleep inducing, lecture in college, when I truly did feel I *needed* to take the notes, where that plan didn't work.

When I went back to read my notes later, they kept trailing off into squiggles, and at one point it looked like I had written "parasites on toast".   That one still makes me laugh.

Coffee!

I organize my work "to do" list so wasted meeting time becomes productive.   Everyone thinks I'm taking meeting notes.    It always works!

The secret to whether a meeting is boring or not is to look around the room and count how many other heads are bobbing and how many eyes look heavy. If I can see it in others, then I know the leader of the meeting has got to notice it and it makes me work harder to not be one of them and give the leader more eye contact to let them know they have at least one captive audience member.

I can't say I've really stayed attentive, but I have learned over time how to look like I'm listening while daydreaming about other things.   I make sure to look at the speaker periodically and watch my nonverbals.   Doesn't mean I've heard a thing.   If I really need to know what is being said, I take notes so I don't fall asleep.

I tend to doodle during meetings, whether I'm interested or not.   I only make an effort not to when I'm meeting with people outside the company.   In that case, I drink a lot of water or try to catch the eyes of whoever is speaking and see how long I can keep them looking at me.

I've been in meetings where I can tell some attendees, who don't know me, think I'm not paying attention.   I LOVE to all of a sudden insert some comment or really penetrating question in the middle of doodling that proves I know exactly what's going on and then continuing my doodling.   

It's the small pleasures in life, ya know?

The euphoric expectation that my incredible concentration and understanding will qualify me for an exponentially higher pay raise than the guy next to me who is asleep.

I watch the crowd and use eyeball to eyeball contact to redirect the attention of other bored meeting members to the one who is nodding or sleeping while thinking of an on-topic but unanswerable question for the person who called this unnecessary meeting.

My secret to "attentiveness" is something learned in middle school: bring paper, a writing utensil, and sit next to someone sociable.   We appear to be taking notes; in reality, we're discussing lunch, weekend activity, and probably how boring the meeting is.

...my secret to staying awake during a meeting is replaying the movie Office Space in my head...especially the part where he is eating cheetos and playing Tetris on his computer.   You have to be careful, though, and pay attention a little bit in case you get called on, so you don't look like an idiot!!

To remain alert during boring meetings I balance a cup of hot coffee on my thigh.   Seriously.

Coffee before. Leg movement during the meeting,   it is like stretching and yawning, but no one can see you do it.

My secret is to keep my hands and fingers occupied with something I can fiddle with. Or, bring a pound of caffeine with me to the meeting.

Caffeine - and lots of it!

I take copious notes.   The practice forces me to listen to the speaker and keeps me awake.

This is an easy one - One of the most important things I learned in college is that if I sit front and center (or in the direct site line of the speaker), and make eye contact with the speaker not only do I stay awake, I pay attention!

For those of us with required continuing education we have all had a few conferences that we thought would be useful only to find out that we have signed up for the greatest cure for insomnia.   I have tried numerous things.   Once I was in at a conference for 2 days that was horrible.   I sat at the back of the room and cross stitched. I have also written letters.   (I have seen people who using their pda's reading their email and working on reports.)   But, I try to be nicer now and usually take reading materials that I never seem to have time for at work and read discretely. Or I make lists of things I need to do at home and at work.   And I do try to listen and take at least one thing from the meeting or conference, but just in case I always keep a couple of pages of available so I can update my to do lists or plan.

During boring meetings, I do the following to stay attentive (or awake!):

Try and write down the high points of the presenters remarks.

Occasionally shift my posture to ward off the sandman.

When desperate, I'll try and estimate what the meeting's "cost" is based on each attendees guesstimated salary pro-rated for the amount of time the meeting lasts.   It's sort of an EVA calculation to confirm my disdain for being there in the first place!

My secrets for staying awake during a boring meeting:

1. Drink a lot.   Water, coffee, whatever is available.   If I feel like I have to use the ladies room, it's impossible for me to fall asleep.   This only works, however, for meetings that are under 2 hours, or meetings that have breaks scheduled at least every two hours.   Otherwise, this strategy is just a biohazard.

2. Start singing a really annoying song to yourself.   One of those songs that you just can't get out of your head.   Like "Can't Touch This" or "Ice Ice Baby."   In a pinch, the Peanuts theme song works well, too, but you sometimes wind up with a goofy grin on your face or bopping your head involuntarily.  

What's your "secret" for staying attentive (or at least awake) for a boring meeting?.

Clearly, the best solution is "don't go!"

I cannot WAIT until I can find out some secrets tomorrow. I'll put them to use on Monday!

My tactic is pretty obvious ... head down, eyes closed, rubbing my forehead while trying to pay attention - then I have to resort to caffeine.

Some co-workers doodle, some play solitaire on their laptop, some write notes for later in the day. We're not too creative - we all know we are bored!

Take notes.   Even if the notes have nothing to with the meeting, I must take notes to keep from passing out.   For instance, I might make a grocery list.   Many times I believe I have given the speaker a rush of confidence and validation when he has looked at the excitement on my face as I nod and write on my note pad, "Toilet paper - must pick up some TP before going home tonight!"

Here are my secrets for staying attentive in boring meetings (and I have attended many):

1. Always sit strategically at the table/in the meeting room so others can't see what you are writing or reading.  

2. Never take just a tablet, take a portfolio that holds a tablet on one side and a pocket for reading material on the other.

3. I take other memos or just reading material I need to get through.   I've even made photocopies of newspaper/magazine articles to read so I can mix them among presentation material.

4. Boring meetings are a great time to make "to do" lists.   I've made work to-do lists, grocery lists, weekend to-do lists, Christmas lists, goals for my life lists, you name it.   It just looks like you are taking notes during the meeting.   If you are working with numbers during your meeting, this is a great time for working on your own personal budget, especially if you have a calculator with you.

5. Always make sure, if possible, to make one comment or ask one question so you don't look totally tuned out. Otherwise, at some point during the meeting, make some eye contact with the presenters and other meeting attendees (if you are sitting at a table) and do some head nods that you are agreeing with what they are saying.

Some of the boring meetings I actually look forward to, because it is time in my schedule I can let my mind wander and not be interrupted by phone calls, emails, and get some thinking done.  

I know it sounds like I've put a lot of thought into this, and I really am a fully-engaged, good employee, however, I feel like too much time is wasted on meetings that are totally unnecessary.   I needed to find ways to make this wasted meeting time productive.  

I think this would make a good Dilbert comic.

To stay awake in boring meetings, I often play Yahtzee on my PDA (with the sound off)!

If I'm hearing something that I don't want to hear and that is upsetting, I sometimes press my index finger insistently on whatever hard, flat surface is in front of me - pushing the imaginary button that activates the hidden trap door that is under whomever is making the unpleasant announcement. A very cathartic flight of fancy!

During less than interesting meetings and presentations, I'm horribly guilty of starting lists of things I need to accomplish once the meeting is over, projects I would like to tackle and contemplating personal and professional goals.   If it gets really bad I'll start making the grocery list.

Rest your elbows on the chair arms and have your hands comfortably up in the air.   When you begin to sleep, your arms will fall waking you up.

It helps to take a few notes, even if I throw them away after the meeting ends, and focus on writing down any I will need to take as a result of the meeting.

I hate meetings.   I stay awake by drinking coffee, doodling & thinking of what kind of Extreme Makeover I would give the speaker.

I worked for someone who was an avid reader of management-oriented books.   Every year or so, he would find a book that he felt offered a panacea for all of the organization's ills…   And thus began a series of interminable "strategy sessions" aimed at adapting our organization to the strategies outlined in the book.   After three or four cycles of book-based-reinvention, our management team had (understandably) become very cynical towards these efforts, and nobody invested a lot of mental energy in them.   Few of the meetings involved any meaningful discussion; they were usually three-hour long monologues (occasionally supplemented by strange drawings and poorly conceived flowcharts) where the biggest challenge was appearing to remain mentally present (actually being mentally present wasn't required since discussions were nil).   I learned to "fake it" by preparing lists—shopping lists, weekend to-do lists, prospective names for yet-to-be-had children.   List-making was accompanied by periodically furrowing my brow and nodding my head, thus convincing my boss that I was diligently striving to grasp a particularly deep concept.    And when all else failed, there was always the old stand-by: Get up and go to the restroom, regardless of whether there was any real need to go to the restroom.   There were only two problems with this approach: People either thought I had some sort of severe coffee-intolerance or they would stumble across me in the kitchen reading magazines and loading up on coffee and donuts.

This happens far too often - I usually have to pinch myself to try and stay awake.

Eat chocolate.

Chewing gum

doodling keeps my mind alert