In a building someplace in your town people are reluctantly shuffling into a conference room clutching their insulated coffee travel mugs where they’ll sit for the next hour or two in a meeting. Many of them would rather be somewhere else.

That somewhere else is their desk where they can listen to the meeting via conference call. That way, they can slouch in their chairs shoeless with their feet up on their desk, check e-mail or lipstick, clip their nails or roll their eyes in response to some inane comment one of the participants in the meeting who can’t see them just made.

It’s not that some meetings aren’t important, it’s just that many people simply don’t care to meet in-person anymore, according to a survey conducted by TNS Intersearch for Cisco Systems. Nearly 40% of people surveyed said they prefer to meet at their desk or don’t have a preference.

Meeting in person can actually get in the way of a productive meeting, they say, causing distractions, nervousness and disruptive behavior. Almost 30% of employees said they get nervous just thinking about formally presenting information. Over 27% said they get distracted by the person next to them asking questions or starting a side conversation. And over 12% said they worry they’re not dressed right.

By not being physically with each other, employees said that phone or web conferences:

• give them time savings of getting to and from the meeting
• allow them to do one or more than one thing if they
  want to
• let them wear whatever they want
• keep people focusing more on others’ thoughts rather than body language

But what about all that friendly chit chat that only takes place when people are shoulder to shoulder? Nearly ninety percent of those surveyed said they wouldn’t miss in-person gossip or hot date stories and 86% wouldn’t miss passing notes.

On the other hand, I wonder just how productive these faceless meetings are. I’ve observed dozens of conference calls and people’s behavior is not very different than what goes on in face-to-face meetings. In some cases, it’s worse.

Instead of doodling on their paper pads, they walk around their office checking files or e-mail. They hold side conversations, but no one knows because they hit the mute button so the folks on the other end can’t hear them.

They give instructions to their secretaries, motion for others in the room to do something or pass a note. Some people even leave the room. I’ve seen people lay their head on their desk and sleep during conference calls.

“I’m always suspicious of these calls,” says an advertising executive in Cincinnati.

“I can just see them on the other end of the phone making faces or laughing hysterically with the mute button on. Most people on the conference meetings I’ve been in are spineless slackers who agree just to agree because it’s easier to fake it when someone can’t see you. I don’t like conference meetings since I can’t see their reaction or who’s flinching. And they can’t see my passion for an idea.”

Cutting down on travel time is a real plus. But not paying attention, distracting others and not saying something that needs to be said isn’t any more efficient or effective. The real issue is whether you need to have the meeting. If it’s not important enough to pay attention and speak up, then maybe you shouldn’t be having the meeting on the phone or in person.

© by Andrea Kay