Waste of time

No, no, not all that time you stop by AJU to see if there's anything new. I'm talking about the classic waste of time: meetings!

But do they have benefits? Tyler Cowan of Marginal Revolution makes the case in a column for Forbes:

Face-to-face gatherings serve valuable if hidden functions. For example, meetings publicize information about status... Meetings confer a sense of control. Attendees feel like insiders who have a real voice in decisions. This boosts their motivation to implement ideas discussed as a group... Frequent meetings help a business apply bonuses and yearly evaluations with greater precision...

Claptrap or no?

I do find the meeting I enjoy more are the ones in which i participate, as opposed to (basically) observe. And I can't say I've been in a professional meeting in which there was a high degree of conflict, so no excitement there.

But there are some interesting points in the column related to the "social theater" of meetings and the potential effects outside of the subject of the meeting. I mention above that I often observe meetings--that seems to be the case in most I attend at work, as I'm not so involved/invested in a project to be lead/direct/comment. But that proactivity would likely increase my perceived value to my bosses, whether or not I'm committed to what I'm offering. It's a new approach--maybe I'll give it a shot.