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Rutherford Hall file messages, critical communications strategist
WhatsApp to Stephen: That meeting was terrible. The staff was on their phones at different points of the session. I am quite sure that Alice was playing Candy Crush While talking, his eyes were in the entire session. And people send a text message from each other who is talking. This is our Hive-Mind meeting and it seems that half of the team is always in another place. The only buzz are people’s phones.
Of: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
I don’t know if you saw Jamie Dimon’s last memorandum in JPMorgan Chase. It is full of great ideas. But there is one thing that said he wanted to highlight all staff: his comments about people who use their phones during meetings to read text messages, emails or even social networks. As Jamie says that this is “disrespectful,” he waste time and “has to stop.”
I know that we are all juggling with multiple pressures in our time. But when we meet for a meeting, we need everyone to be present in mind and body. Someone will have had problems for the meeting, or we are grouping our collective brain power. Either way, you owe everyone else to your attention.
The result of Jamie’s message is that, at least, everyone knows not to do so in meetings with him. Doing it with Jamie is worse than disrespectful; It is a career limiting. From now on at meetings, think of me (and Stephen, of course) as Monkwell’s dimonons. We are in communications, so communicate some commitment. Visible signs of boredom will be remembered during the evaluation season.
Let’s do it as Dimon. Downstream; He goes to the room.
Rutherford.
Find me in Strava, Kom Sydenham Hill, London A Brighton 3 Hrs 04M, Al Jubailah/Bawdah Loop – 42 minutes
WhatsApp to Stephen: Yes, I accept that some meetings are more important than others. The ones I am presiding over are more important than others.
WhatsApp to Stephen: No, it does not depend on the meeting. These are manners and the best use of time.
WhatsApp to Stephen: So, are you saying that some meetings are so useless that using them to answer texts is a more productive use of time?
WhatsApp to Stephen: Well, they must be your meetings, friend.
WhatsApp to Stephen: Do people play with Rutherford Bingo at my meetings? What is even Rutherford Bingo? I learned to keep short and sharp meetings when I worked at number 10, a dynamic sprint away from the platoon.
WhatsApp to Stephen: What do you mean with “That is Bingo”?
WhatsApp a Alice: Where were you? I sent a text message more than two hours ago?
WhatsApp a Alice: Oh ho, ho. You were in meetings and you didn’t want to disrespect the client!
Of: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
OK. I listen to everyone in the texts at meetings. I agree that we have to be available for customers, but there must be a balance. So I have decided to make this easier for everyone. To help them all to be present in mind, our meetings are now events without telephone. You will leave your mobiles in your desks. The exceptions will only be made if the really urgent messages are agreed in advance. Rutherford.
WhatsApp to Stephen: Yes, all meetings.
WhatsApp to Stephen: How can I do that? If we say that only some events are meetings without a phone, what does that say about the value of others? It is better to have a more aggressive vision about the need for meetings.
WhatsApp to all@monkwell: Ok, fast, standing on phones on the topic of meetings in my office in 15 minutes.
WhatsApp to all@monkwell: I see a path through this. I will prepare a guide establishing new best practices to guarantee more effective meetings.
WhatsApp to all@monkwell: No, I will obviously know everyone to get points of view. Send me an email if you have something to add.
Of: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
To accompany our new policy without phones here is the new meeting strategy:
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Meetings ideally should be five people or less.
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They must have a clear purpose and result/decision.
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If you prefer to be on your phone, why is it at this meeting?
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Keep them short.
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Once everything has been said, it is not necessary to say it.
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Ask the purpose of any meeting held biweekly at 10 am (the day and time are obviously illustrative). There are too many of these meetings to wind what has been achieved, what could be achieved and what could have been achieved, but because of the fact that it was not.
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But we will still have our weekly Hive Hive-Mind meeting. It is important to have once when we all share information and ideas.
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Bingo meetings is now a disciplinary crime.
Messages recovered by Robert Shrimsley