March 21, 2008

“Everyone is so busy expressing their opinions that no one has time to make a decision.”

How many of us have sat through meetings and experienced the essence of this quote? These are meetings that seem to last forever. Nothing substantive is accomplished. Everyone files out of the conference room frustrated. The next meeting notice that arrives on the same subject causes people to break out in hives. We are all familiar with these episodes. We endure such ordeals too often.

There are, of course, times when it is important to reach consensus and hear opinions. Such matters can be addressed efficiently without creating a “free for all” air in the room or over the conference line. When I heard this week’s featured quote, opinions really didn’t matter. Decisions were needed. Yet the discussion droned on with no apparent end time. Some people with other commitments got up and left. Several of us made recommendations that it was time to move toward conclusion; however, the individual chairing the meeting was not interested in making the determination needed to resolve the issue at hand. A voice whispered, “Everyone is so busy expressing their opinions that no one has time to make a decision.”

At CJ2, we believe decisions determine destiny. Opinions don’t establish conclusions. Neither do long meetings foreordain outcomes. When planning an agenda and running a meeting, we should manage to objectives. Too often we focus instead on entertaining personal notions and speculation. Utilize information to trump conjecture.

There should be time on every docket to decide and move forward. Decisions create energy. Opinions cogitate until the next meeting.

Craig Halsey

They Said It

March 21, 2008