To hate it when people talk among themselves at meetings

[poppymagnum]

In the last week or so I have been to 3 meetings and one training course. Every time, people have talked while a discussion is going on or while the trainer is talking. Despite being asked to stop they start again a bit later. It's not even as though the person running the meetings has ignored it.

I chaired a meeting today and had to ask about 4 times for people to listen while someone was saying something as they were having a chat about something else. It was only a short meeting and (if I say so myself) I am a decent chair who keeps this moving and wraps up as quickly as possible.

I just think it's so rude and can't fathom why people think it's ok.

YANBU, I really hate this. If I'm in a meeting and someone does this whilst I'm speaking I stop and stare at them until they stop.

YANBU.

I have a theory about this one! It must be some kind of spectrum disorder thingy. I mean, what's so fucking hard about a) not talking in a meeting b) listening to some one who's meant to be talking! y are definitely nbu OP. I used to go to aqua natal and there were the same silly twats yabbering on at the back every week. They didn't even pause for breath when the midwife leading got annoyed and almost shouted at them. They looked right at her and just carried on talking in quieter voices it boils my piss. Sorry for ranty swearing. Gah!

Oh my god YANBU!

Drives me insane in staff meetings. Especially when the rude people then say, "sorry, could you say that agin? I missed that."
Learn some manners!

At my old hellish school, one woman was so certain of her expertise in everything in the world ever, that she would sit through training sessions tapping away on her iPad, as if to give the impression she were supervising the training, as opposed to receiving it!

Also, I LONG for the training/meeting leaders to have the balls to instantly stop speaking and send them the death stare until they STFU. I would. Too many carry on uncertainly, hoping desperately they'll stop.

YANBU. I used to work for an organisation where the CEO did this constantly - so disrespectful.

I chair meetings weekly and rarely have to tell people to stop talking. I'd say once every three meetings or so.

How strange that people would think it is okay to behave like that.

YANBU

bloody rude.

I'd be tempted to stop and say "ok, since what you have to say is obviously so much more important than what I have to say, we'll just all listen to you and forget about what we came here for. ok, we're all ears. We are just dying to hear what's so important and interesting that means that you don't have to listen to the subject matter of this meeting."

Yes, this drives me mad as well. I sometimes wonder if, as a society, we have become a little too informal and anti-authoritarian, as people seem to regard it as a right to express themselves whenever and however they want. I suppose social media doesn't help wiht that.

YAdefinatelyNBU.
I can't stand this, and not just in meetings but, as someone has said, in any situation where someone is talking and the rest should be listening.
There are always some at my dance lessons, not necessarily the same people, and DH teaches in his job and frequently has this problem, and then there's the ones at work, in meetings,etc.

My kids' headmaster has a trick of just not saying anything until they finally realise proceedings have stopped and everyone is looking at them- tis most satisfying at parental gatherings.
Their inability to shut the fuck up means they are probably the same people who talk in the cinema so they deserve a special place in hell.

YANBU at all. The occasional time this occurred in meetings I chaired, guess who had the job of minute taking and write-up the next time at the end of the meeting?

I hate it too!

Stop talking. look at the people who are chatting. if you can raise one eyebrow, do so. If you can catch the eye of others in teh meeting, then do, perfecting a eary shrug helps.
When the talkers glance up, ask them to leave the meeting.

Gah!

Is this a Generation Y thing ?

Never used to happen.

I remember once being at a craft show at the NEC, when the 2 min silence for Remembrance Sunday took place. We all stood still quietly (or sat, it was in one of the cafes). Two ladies, who were old enough to know better carried on talking.

Until they realised that everyone around them had shut up and was glaring at them. Never saw anyone move out of a cafe fast at that before , they were clearly embarrassed.

And this is how it is in school. So much time lost from kids who won't stop talking. And their parents wonder why we're on their case. Obviously they are good role models.

And even worse,the parents who come to see their children doing their class assembly and continue to to chat whilst the whole school is sitting there waiting to begin.

YANBU! I did a stint as a mature student and I was frankly gobsmacked at the number of people in lectures who couldn't go an hour or two without chatting about inane shite or playing with their phones. And they were paying to be there! It's hideously disrespectful to the speaker, and makes it harder for others to hear. It has never happened anywhere I've worked, but I'd be fuming if it did. It's on a par with talking loudly in the cinema. Argh!

We did have one brilliantly intolerant lecturer though, who would remove without hesitation or warning anybody who she felt consistently chatted whilst she was speaking. Bizarrely, having been pulled up on their awful behaviour (and she did make clear her policy and the reasoning in the first lecture) they'd then throw abuse and they walked out the door. "Fucking militant lesbian" being the one stunning example.

I very occasionally wish it was O.K to physically beat manners into people. Thank feck for wine!

I once worked with a Death Stare Woman who used to say "could we have just one meeting please?" and wither the chattee with her finely honed beady look... I did use it once myself, but lacked DSW's conviction and gravitas

Oh, it starts at the toddler groups!

I lead the singing at ours. I battle constantly to keep the children's attention while the adults gossip, exchange mobile phone photos, take calls...

How can you possibly expect your children to behave when you set them such a rude and disrespectful example?!

Oooo, did anyone see The Syndicate on Tv tonight? I think it's going to be really good! That fire fiasco in corras is a right load of rubbish though.....WHAT?

Sorry op, Yanbu, it is really rude. As you were...

Really is very rude and smacks of "my time and subject is soo much more important than yours"

I don't get to chair yet! but will be practising my eyebrow death stare for when I get my chance.

ಠ_ಠ

I just sent an email offering to help on the PTA for DD's school.... (wonders what I've let myself in for) so hopefully will have a chance to observe what goes on at their meetings.

I used to chair meetings, but didn't have anyone rude like this, we all wanted to get the meeting done with acceptable decisions/actions and get on with other work.

Could be interesting.

I find "Do we need to cover this now or could it wait?" tends to embarass them into stopping - the trouble I find in a lot of meetings is that we are trying to get through too much on the agenda, and not all of it relates to everyone, so a couple of people will be carrying on their own private meeting on point 2 becasue they have no interest in point 3.

But you are right it is very disruptive, as the rest of us can't focus on point 3.

I'm amazed at the "personal discussions" bit though - no way would I put up with that!