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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be feeling totally drained by long meetings every single morning?

77 replies

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 07:19

Hi everyone. Before remote working, we would have one staff meeting per week. Useful to catch up and brainstorm etc.

But now that we are remote working we are required to have a meeting every morning for up to an hour some days. These meetings have no agenda and mainly consist of 'do we have anything to cover? No? Yes? No? Funny story btw...' or most of us sit in silence because we're fed up waiting to be released.

I am now regularly finishing work 30-45 mins late to get those tasks done that I don't have time for in the morning. I thought it was just me until my colleague messaged me during yesterday's meeting saying 'is this really necessary? This starting my day off in the wrong foot every day'. Another colleague said they like them as it is 'better than looking at four walls' which is valid for them.

This morning I woke at 6 with debilitating pain due to suspected endometriosis. I'm going to have to sit on the couch with a hit water bottle so I'm not attending this time. But it won't spare me other days!

Do people think I can bring this up or not?

OP posts:

Bakedbeanhead · 03/04/2020 07:38

Funnily enough my Husband was saying this just yesterday. He is WFH and says the meetings are pointless. Just people saying random things, he is trying to duck out of them when he can.

NaughtyLittleElf · 03/04/2020 07:43

It depends on your role I suppose, I work for the NHS so its essential to have regular updates, we're all working under a lot of pressure so we need to check in with everyone. We have daily meetings but they are usually 30 minutes and are to the point. If you're doing your usual jobs, everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing then it sounds unnecessary.

SuperMeerkat · 03/04/2020 07:44

Oh God, @Maria53 we’re doing this. Our team meeting used to be once a fortnight and now it’s daily taking between 30-60 minutes via Teams. I also have another one every Tuesday and am supposed to have a 1:1 with my line manager but she never bothers. It’s so boring, I rarely have anything to say and takes time out of my day. Basically it’s 30-60 mins of the band 8D and the band 7 talking whilst the rest of us who are bands 4-6 just sit there and very occasionally chip in.

Curlywurly12 · 03/04/2020 07:44

I am being forced to have weekly video calls with my line manager. All our work has dried up so it’s just to “check in on how we are doing mentally” - my MH is bad but these calls make it worse

ChaiTea1 · 03/04/2020 07:45

I have end of the day catch ups with my team and they don’t have an agenda too. Too them it’s just catching up like you would do if you were having a coffee break in the office. But this is different as it’s over a video call - they’re pointless and awkward!
As I’ve just started my new job, I feel I can’t say anything, but if they carry on I might have to speak up.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 03/04/2020 07:48

Ah, this is quite a hard one - we have these too, not every day, and sometimes they're a total waste of time but sometimes someone says something that makes us all sit up - 'oh, I talked to Sarah from admissions and she mentioned...', 'hang on, what? That would have a huge impact on what I'm doing for....'. In theory you could just hold them when people have something to say but people don't always realise they have something important for someone else. The problem is that in the office you sort of get a vague sense of what's going on for other people (our work is all quite silo-ed) just from being around, and I think you do need to find some way to replicate that - but daily meetings feels like overkill.

Original poster

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 07:49

@Bakedbeanhead I suppose people all over the place will be having this issue with the adjustment. But the MD just drones on and on and we're held hostage.

In my industry it isn't necessary to have these meetings every day, most things could be covered in a quick email. We were previously told we 'couldn't' work remotely and I think the daily meetings began as a way of trusting we were all there doing what we should do.

One colleague commented we all seemed 'low' during the meeting the other day and suggested incorporating a dance routine to lighten things up. I appreciate your enthusiasm but I haven't even finished my first coffee yet!

I have only worked there 6 months so not sure what power I have to bring this up

OP posts:

Janaih · 03/04/2020 07:50

Suggest having the meeting at the end of the day, as people are more productive in the morning. Then you can all knock off on time, and if you have an urgent deadline you can excuse yourself from the meeting.

Who is chairing the meetings? They should ensure talk stays on track. A good manager will gently shut down wafflers.

LakieLady · 03/04/2020 07:51

I'm a benefits adviser and there are so many changes, and they've been rushed through so there are no clear regulations or anything, that we have a daily meeting to discuss cases and agree what advice to give.

I was on leave when lockdown started, so missed all the initial work that went on. It was only when I mentioned it yesterday that everyone realised that no arrangements had been made for getting post from the office (DWP and tribunal service still do a lot on actual paper)!

So our meetings are productive.

Janaih · 03/04/2020 07:52

Ah just seen its your md. Shit.

Suggest to him using the Slack app. Great for productivity. He can check up on everyone without them feeling intruded upon.

User478 · 03/04/2020 07:53

If these meetings are first thing it is to check that you are at your desk ready to work rather than having a lie in/spending all day watching Netflix.

Original poster

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 07:55

The MD is the waffler and the chair! My direct boss keeps passive aggressively saying in the meetings she barely gets her work done as is constant meetings. I wish she'd raise it properly.

@SuperMeerkat my experience basically seems to mirror yours. Most of these meetings could take place between a few key people.

@Curlywurly12 I am also have MH issues which have been under control for almost a year now. The pandemic is bad enough but this is bring me down mentally too.

It has been suggested that we have morning AND end of day meetings! Maybe end of day is worth a mention.

OP posts:

vanillandhoney · 03/04/2020 07:55

If these meetings are first thing it is to check that you are at your desk ready to work rather than having a lie in/spending all day watching Netflix.

Why do you need to be dressed and sat up at a desk in order to be ready to work?

blackteaplease · 03/04/2020 07:56

We have a 15 min daily coffe break that you can dial into or not. It's for chit chat.

We also have a weekly team meeting that is just as bad face to face so no change there.
Daily calls would drive me mad. Can you raise the cost to the company of so many people sitting doing nothing?

Original poster

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 07:56

Everyone logins in at 9am on teams to say good morning and hello etc. This meeting is at half 9. Some days I don't get to start proper tasks til midday.

OP posts:

CottonSock · 03/04/2020 07:57

I persuaded my line manager weekly was enough.

FairyBunnyAgain · 03/04/2020 07:57

We use Slack throughout the day but I still insist on a daily team meeting to check what everyone has to do, that the workload is balanced and to keep everyone in the loop just as we would be normally all working in the same office. It takes around 20 minutes and everyone speaks in turn.

MaccaPacca81 · 03/04/2020 07:59

We have one rule that has come down from the top that has saved a lot of time and helped shaped so many meetings....

If theres no agenda on the meeting invite, we wont attend.

*That's not applicable to our daily 15 minute stand ups as thats driven by the Kanban board that details out the stories and tasks people are working on.

Whatafustercluck · 03/04/2020 08:00

I've got serious meeting fatigue, but in my case it's pretty much back to back calls all day and it's getting so I don't get the actual work done. The number of conference calls has sky rocketed. I wouldn't say they're pointless (not all of them anyway) but I'm definitely going to have to start rejecting some of them. It's crazy.

NeverTwerkNaked · 03/04/2020 08:02

We were having meetings like this. It drove me up the wall so I suggested keeping them to half an hour and they are still fairly pointless but at least you don't end up feeling stressed because there is so little time left to get actual work done!

Sciurus83 · 03/04/2020 08:03

Can you suggest they are made half an hour and stick to a replicated agenda every day? I manage a remote team so none of this is new for us, I find it's important to separate out which meetings are for what with a clear term of reference and agenda, and for mine I like to go round the group and give everyone 5 mins to update on their work area. We do this once a week, theres really no point doing this every day. Mental health check ins should be 1-2-1, very few people like to talk to a group on the phone if they aren't feeling good. We also have a wider team call once a week with organisational updates which is half an hour, and a new informal meeting once a week at the end of the day which is bring a cup of tea and talk.

Really that's enough, any more and people get frustrated at time wasting. I could happily chat for hours but it's not productive, and the people running those meetings need to understand that while they think it's good staying in touch for them no-one else is contributing and it's a waste.of time. Could you suggest making the call half an hour, with 10 mins for manager updates then pick a work area/sub team to focus on every day with tight agenda around priority updates?

NeverTwerkNaked · 03/04/2020 08:04

The 15 minute coffee breaks is an awesome idea ! I think I will suggest that to my juniors. Then they get a bit of connection if they want it

Original poster

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:06

Well 30-40 mins every morning is too much for me personally..

I usually arrive at work early and spend that first hour or so being really productive. Now I can't get stuck into anything because I have to stop for the meeting at 9.30.

Interesting to see a lot of replies agreeing but even some say they think this is good!

OP posts:

Gwenhwyfar · 03/04/2020 08:10

Can't you just work at the same time? They won't necessarily know you're typing or pretend your camera's not working so they can't see you?
I think we need more often than weekly in my job, but every day would be too much.

Original poster

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:12

That's it @Sciurus83 - I am feeling so unwell and tired today and it is taking a toll on my MH, so I can't face the meeting.

I doubt anyone would make an agenda because if it is for every day that is another task to do. That's what it's just free talk. I want to bring it up but not sure how it will be received.

OP posts:

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