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Small talk is a biggie
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Originally uploaded by: KnOizKi
Oh meetings. You know one of those legitimate social ‘function’ that people from other departments gathered together to talk about being safe at work? Sure, we’d all rather be efficient than careless in our work. Sure, we’d all rather spend our time on a real work than on idle chitchat.
I don’t like meetings. Most meetings are repetitious. Most of the time, in my case, there’s a limited English translations - not even from the person in-charge. I know it’s not a pretty easy idea when I’m the only one there needed a translation. I’d be lucky if I am sitting next to someone who kindly take down notes for me to know what’s happening. Isn’t that a dilemma?
Thing is, I finished my shift earlier at three then two hours later I was scheduled to attend to the meeting. I’ve been to many meetings. There are people who actually just go there for the cookies or a bottle of Vittel water - I like the mentos mint candy tho’ just maybe in case I want to offset the boredom of having to hear all the meaningless discussion. What drives me crazy are those who are not desciplined. We know that a lot of us go for the meetings and expect also different conversation, sometimes there’s a problem with people who wants to just go off-topic.
“Wait a minute, can we start yet?”
So anyways, just waiting there for a few ten minutes, there were only three of us in the table wondering where the hell was everyone? The Chairperson arrived and informed us that the meeting is postponed. Say what?
Perhaps, great meetings don’t just happen, right? Wrong. Specially with a nice view such as these from the 30th Floor.
BTW, I was awarded the Thoughtful Blogger Award from an adorable blogger, Meeya. There she says:
If you love a song on his site, he’ll congenially direct you to a link where to download it. He answers his commenters with more than just the curt “thanks” - there’s always an added value to his every reply. As for me, he’s never forgotten that I love love love Ate Shawie. Even on his trip home to Pinas, he says Ate Shawie and Miel’s McDonald’s commercial never failed to remind him of Ninna and me! Gosh, that is the best compliment, ever!
“Meeya, share”. What can I say, you have inspired me too. Thanks, Meeya.
you’re welcome, K! i can’t think of anybody more deserving of that award than you
but since we were always doing meetings on the top floor conference room, i sort of looked forward to the views, too! it calms me… before the huge storm… or unless the meeting gets postponed. 
as for meetings, i hated those, too! especially the ones with the bosses… hay naku nightmare.
Hi K, I hate meeting also, I think it’s a waste of time. Our company has a ‘management meeting’ as they’d call it, but it’s more like a chit-chat session about their personal lives and I can’t say it’s anything productive. Do they not speak English at your meeting? It’d be a pain to not understanding what they’re saying.
Congratulations for receiving the ‘Thoughtful Blogger Award’, sometimes I wonder how you keep up with all of our comments, replying to all of us is like a post of its own. I’ve always enjoy visiting your blog, to read your articles and listening to your music.
Meeya, it was one of those meetings that you just feel like getting off of your chair and find the nearest door exit. But most of our general meetings is ocassionally to address us the issues about “costumers satisfaction”. If we don’t do our job well, it would certainly affect the business. Nowadays, employees who attends to the meeting, first comes to mind is to whether the company would give us a pay rise or other benefits than hearing about cost-cutting or not meeting up the budget because the BIG boss screw up his job.
Ginger, short meetings in my department is bi-lingual. Majority of our staff in my department are all Chinese speaking, so the boss prefer to have it in Chinese. Maybe because I can understand 70% of their conversation, they think translation is unecessary but at the end of the meeting, “minutes” are taken down with English. So I have to really work on my butt to catch up. On the back of my head, I think English also needs to be taught/practice in all the departments so that everyone can benefit out of it.
meetings, meetings! exactly what i faced few months ago. you know, from the first month i arrived in Japan for this study, I was required to attend the weekly seminar held by my lab mates, and yes they present in japanese. so i had to endure sitting in the room hunting for some interesting kanji characters in the handouts they distribute. but a lot better now, since ive gone with the required 6-months jap. language course so i can catch up a bit.
its just boring hehe.
Great photos and congrats on the award. Honestly, I wouldn’t go for cookies, mints or water if there was a boring meeting. But I WOULD go for sandwiches, sausage rolls, coffee/tea of some sort etc. Like the filling stuff, not just snacks.
Dimaks, oh good on you to learning the Japanese. I would personally say, Japanese is easy to learn than the Cantonese. I’ve once attended a Japanese class to learn the basics and it was FUN. We also have japanese business clients before but now that all seemed to be easier to understand English, I find it weird that the Chinese (specially the Mainlands, ok I’m not discriminating here) refused to speak English language. I guess it is in their culture to be different. “Wei Wei” (Hello! Hello!).
Weng, hahaha - no worries it supposedly just a short meeting so we thought preparing extra bits of refreshments is not really that necessary. Would you believe, we have “buffet” or a Cocktail meetings that I even took home a box of sushis? Talking about food…
Meetings when you´re off? that should be forbiden, I woudn´t come back to the office for a meeting. Meetings 10 before the end of the day should be forbiden to. Well I work in a very big company, but they don´t give us water, mentos or anything else. if you are lucky they give you a good view from Madrid, but that happens only once a year or so.
by the way I had one yesterday our superboss came to tell us how happy is whith us and I had a salary rise, not bad for a meeting
i am back, k!!!! i missed ya! hugs!
Inthesity, CONGRATS for the pay rise. Yes of course, we also have GREAT meetings - the awarding ceremonies. We get extra money or recognition for those who did a great job. Some sort of “patting on the back” and it’s a great deal for me. This month, I’ve won a $500 worth of grocery vouchers for doing something beyond the line of my duty. Isn’t that rewarding?
JC, oh welcome back. Hope to hear more on your blog. I heard you’re always away for meetings outside the city so that’s probably a tough job!
oh, they postponed the meeting without notifying you? how inconsiderate, huh? you mean the meeting is conducted in Chinese? that is not fair! what is the point of requiring you to be there when you don’t understand any of what they are saying? they should provide a translator for you.
congratulations on your award! you truly deserve it! one good thing i can say of you is you always find time to reply to the comments of each of your commenters.
I actually love meetings. Well, as long as I go with the people I respect. I love hearing their ideas and I love seeing them what they do best. After the meetings, I feel like I’m part of a great team. Then again, there are meetings where I just couldn’t bring myself to sit still. I wanna shout, ‘Can someone please some valid comments here?” or something to that effect. Guess we can’t have it all.
And BTW, I love INXS’ Afterglow.
Belle, the point is to “represent” my Department. REPRESENT! Hahaha. My job is to be there or they would not give me the position as a “trainer”. And since I mentioned that I only understand 70% (not accurate) of Cantonese sometimes conversation is understandable. Apparently, if you put yourself on my shoes, it’s not easy specially how you put that in a proper “interaction”, speaking my views or complaints (sure, I can say that in English). In major meetings, translations are of course initiated. Afterall the big boss is an American so it’s gotta be all Bi-lingual.
I don’t know why I love leaving comments to most everyone of you. It’s probably my style. I enjoy your every comments so I had to acknowledge that. Who makes a blog succesful and fun? You, my commenters.
Hanne, I agree, the main purpose of meetings is to have a better “communication” with each other and your department as a whole. To be better in your work, is to have a better communication. And how do I communicate with my chinese colleagues? I act like a monkey. Body language is funny but it sure helps in a way, so to speak.
Isn’t J.D. Fortune a great rock star? I love INXS.
[...] The meeting was a success, afterall. Hoorah for the weather too. Yes, we had our weekend activity - one of those things we do on a quarterly basis as part of our job to stay away from work. I still considered it as “work” but despiteof, end of the day, the experienced was just rewarding. Our theme: Trust & Confidence. [...]
Meetings always killed me.
As a manager, I’ve been trained to keep them short and sweet. However, when I became an employee again, it wasn’t the same. Very long meetings at times. Very boring.
Range, I think it depends on the audience. I’m short tempered, so when I’m giving my training to my colleauges who does not pay attention, I sometimes give them the wtf face. Pissed, I mean.
[...] other day while having our quarterly meeting at the 30th floor of our office building, I saw this huge plane flying into Victoria Harbour and I said, “Oh look, there’s a big [...]