Saved by the Bell

No, this one is not about Mr. Belding and Screech... (not exactly) It's about being on time for meetings.

If your office is like mine, you have too many meetings. So many that you most likely have them back-to-back-to-back.

It's a problem.

To make matters worse, our meetings rarely start at the scheduled time. Being 5 or 10 minutes late is "standard operating procedure" for many of folks.

There is always some key stakeholder trying to make it across the building - and you can't start until they arrive.

My recommended solution?

Bells.

Yep. A bell ringing at the top of the hour (to start) and a bell at 5-minutes before the hour (to conclude). Just like in school.

Yeah, I know...It sounds silly. It's not rocket science, but in an organization where decisions require multi-departmental input, meetings are necessary.

I feel that being late is inconsiderate... Heck, I'll carry a stack of files from meeting to meeting all day long to avoid being late. I'm considering getting a book bag or maybe a small red wagon.

The secret is in having 55-minute meetings, not 60. If we had the bell at 5-minutes before the hour to indicate the end of the meeting - that would allow enough time to get to your next meeting. Perhaps even to stop by your desk and pick up the files you need for the next meeting. (i.e. get to your locker to drop off your English Lit book and grab your Advanced American History text and spiral notebook).

I think I'll drop a note in the suggestion box on Monday. I wonder if I can get them to also add a nurse's office?