Meetings Make You Dumber

Maximum Prophet writes "Robert Heinlein once said that the committee was the only life form in the universe with three or more bellies and no brain. MSNBC reports that his statement may have some statistical truth to it. Researchers are finding that meetings are actually bad places to be creative. You're not actually 'dumber' when you're in the meeting, just more likely to lose your creative edge. Studies have now shown that, as collaborative primates, the more often a possibility is mentioned the more likely the group is to go along with it. Individuals placed by themselves were more likely to come up with imaginative alternatives to products, for example."

Comments

hmmm

[User 956]

Meetings Make You Dumber... Researchers are finding that meetings are actually bad places to be creative. You're not actually 'dumber' when you're in the meeting, just more likely to lose your creative edge.

Sounds like someone wrote this writeup while in a meeting...

Re:hmmm

[cperciva]

Sounds like someone wrote this writeup while in a meeting...

Not at all. The title is a very creative interpretation of the story.

The primary reason for this

[geekoid]

is that in private corporations there is no way to give a eral opionon and not be fired if it isn't what the boss had envisioned.
The boss want's hoola-hoops with razors on the inside? then you better be a team player and commit 125% to that goal.

You think it's dangerous? not a team player, get out
You think there isn't a market? not a team player, get out
you mention that 100% is pretty much all someone can give without physically harming them selves? not a team player, get out
Forgot to clean the fridge?not a team player, get out

Certainly Explains Congress

[Shadow Wrought]

Just one loong meeting...

Say....

[ReidMaynard]

Guys --

I just scanned this great article on MSNBC..Let's have the whole team meet at 4:30, I've got some ideas...

--The Boss

Re:Meetings are not meant to be creative

[not-enough-info]

Synergize your intellectual capital in a heads-up actionable game plan by leveraging mission critical low-hanging fruit that's just outside the box. It's a win-win-win for everybody!

"We" have decided to comment

[popo]

After much discussion we have decided to comment on this absurd proposition that a group cannot write anything creative. Towards responding to this accusation, we propose a set of action items which will form a roadmap for our final response which will be distributed and posted to Slashdot by next Thursday afternoon.

The first action item will be to define what "creativity" actually is. This issue will be discussed at a CD meeting (Creativity Definition Meeting) tentatively scheduled for Monday at 9:45 am. Donuts and coffee will be served.

The results of the CD meeting will be compiled into a compelling Powerpoint presentation and displayed at our weekly Status Meeting on Wednesday at 4:30pm. Please note, we'll all be going out for drinks promptly following the meeting.

Thursday will consist of a full day of intensive focus groups, follow up discussions, and satellite meetings which will put a fine point on the issue of our supposed inability to generate new and compelling ideas. That full day of meetings will be compiled in a pink sheet for distribution to top management prior to our official Slashdot response.

Thank you.

Re:Nice Timing

[truthsearch]

Your meeting is so boring I can feel my brain atrophy. Oh, wait, that just might be the slashdot effect.

Never fear!

[spun]

Your boss just called. We're having a breakout session at lunch to determine what to do about all this brain atrophy. There will be lettuce and cheese sandwiches with generic food-service chips. See you there!

Re:Meetings are not meant to be creative

[bgfay]

Their function is to seek consenus, bring us all up to speed, get everyone reading from the same page, allocate division of labour etc. But of course, the first reason for having any meeting is to make the person calling the meeting feel or seem important.

At least, that's how it works in my school system.

Re:Meetings are not meant to be creative

[markov_chain]

Heh you will like this:

Adventures of Action Item, Professional Superhero

Re:Meetings are not meant to be creative

[Brickwall]

Wielded by people who get angery when someone doesn't take the time to learn their profession language, but they won't take time to learn someone elses profession language.

Management talks that way, and it makes sence within it's context, learn it or whither.

Whither, indeed. Perhaps you might take the time to learn English.