Meetings Only Hinder Creativity
- Posted by glen on February 27th, 2007
MSNBC has an interesting article titled “Meetings make us dumber, study shows“. Here’s the point that really drove it home for me:
“The researchers speculate that when a group of people receives information, the inclination is to discuss it. The more times one option is said aloud, the harder it is for individuals to recall other options…”
Alone time is uber-important for those wanting to be creative. And I don’t just mean alone from other people. Dealing with multiple inputs at one time is a sure-fire way to squash any creative process too. TV’s, radios, IM, other people… they all take part of our mental juices to follow.
I’ve found that if I really want to get into that creative state, I step away from the computer and go into my room with just a tablet of paper. There’s something about a blank pad and endless oppourtunities that really open up your mind…
[hat tip: Business Opportunities Weblog]
February 27th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Personally, I have found that when I am in a meeting with people smarter than me, I leave the meeting smarter. When I’m in a meeting with people dumber than me, I leave the meeting dumber.
February 27th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Heh… good point. There seems to be kind of an exchange of ability at these things ;)
February 28th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Meatings? I used to hate them. The ones I’ve joined have always been a complete waste of time. Now I’m self employed, so I don’t have to tend to them.
Creativity? Ideas? I totally agree upon the white paper with endless opportunities. I always carry a not pad around with me, ready to jot down any ideas I get.
February 28th, 2007 at 9:14 am
I think it depends on your work. If your work needs team work, like crime investigation, you definitely need to consult with every member of the team.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:36 am
[...] If anything, this might be just the ammunition you need to convince your boss to reign in those endless, mandatory brainstorming sessions. — Gina Trapani Meetings make us dumber, study shows [MSNBC via LifeDev] [...]
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:51 am
presentations, well-organised have a wonderful effect. Loose, talk-fests fall apart and leave everyone bored.
ggw
March 5th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
One way to evaluate whether a meeting is a waste of time: Ask yourself: “did anyone take away any action steps from the meeting?”
If not, then the meeting should have been a voicemail or email!
If so, then the creative exchange obviously had an outcome that moves the ball forward… -Behance Team
August 8th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
[...] already knew that meetings make us dumber. The more people that are present when forming ideas, the less you have time to let them marinate, [...]
August 11th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I don’t think I have ever had a productive LARGE meeting, but one on ones are often fabulous. Maybe the problem is size and bigger isn’t better.