Free up your creativity – ditch the meetings

Thanks to  Ewan McIntosh for pointing me to this video which crystalised something that I have been thinking- and talking – about for a while.  Watch the video and then come back .

Now that is the way to get work done. It shows people coming together when they can/want to and have something to offer at that point. Nobody is sitting around either waiting for their turn (endlessly waiting) or just because they have been told to be there and they are not getting a turn at all.

Some people believe that you can’t get anything done if you don’t have meetings with agendas and action points. Others will be able to show  – like the IDEO guys – that indeed you can. And the quality of what is being done will be at least as good – if not better.

The Edinburgh Coaching Hub recently held an unconference – a meeting with a purpose but with no agenda. The participants generated some discussion ahead of the event from which themes arose and those themes formed the basis of further discussion and development on the night. Everyone in the room contributed  what and when they wanted to. This resulted in a huge surge in energy and a high level of engagement.

There is no obvious leader in IDEO  video – though the guy in the yellow Tshirt is around a lot but it might be that you just notice him more because of it – but everybody seems to know what they are doing.  By each showing leadership on their own part they can get the job done.

If your diary is full of meetings when do you have time to free up your mind and think? If you don’t do that to refresh yourself – your ideas, your priorities, where your passion lies – how effective are you in the next meeting…and the next…. And when do you get time to get on  and do what you are good at  – instead of talking about it in meetings?

Just in case you missed it first time here’s  a recent post on the theme of finding space .