Add your thoughts. At the meetings you attend, which distractions take away your attention? Is it the meeting environment, presenters, technology? Be Specific. The more you share the closer we are to progress. Thanks for your help.
Category Manager, RBC Procurement
On the one hand, a properly set agenda, proposed and accepted “in advance”, brought to the table controls much of the waste of time and resources. Allowing too little or too much time on agenda items, or especially on ‘new business’ are two meeting downfalls.
When meetings are set for apurpose, when everyone accepts the buy-in, and when all participants have a stake in the meeting and its outcome, the distractions seem to disappear, because there is cause for success.
Too often meetings are called for the sake of a (weekly) meeting. Prioritizing and having different attendees present helps, but speakers and the meeting chair must be in control. I’m trust you agree.
Thank you.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Jerry Sheremeta | Report answer as…
Writer
I was asked a question about this at a meeting. I had to ask them to repeat the question because I was looking out of the window and not paying attention at all. It was boring! So just about anything can distract you if the speaker is boring. The speaker at this particular meeting did then involve me and that made it more interesting for everyone, but lost control of the meeting as I asked questions and livened things up! So you have to be interesting and keep control of the meeting to be effective. There was some technology a overhead projector that was really boring. I actually showed a few people some pictures using a digital photo frame and that got more attention than the “presentation”. Boredom and lack of interaction just makes a meeting a waste of everyone’s time. But interaction has to be controlled or someone like me will high jack the meeting out of frustration!
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Michael Maynard | Report answer as…
Interesting you should ask, as I was recently noting distractions that seem to come up at meetings:
1) (environment) Trying to listen to the Speaker over others that have their own conversations.
2) (environment) Phones ringing
3) (environment/technology) Trying to listen to a speaker that isn’t mic’d while other ambient noises are present (air conditioning/heating; wait staff clean up)
The first two items come down to manners, it seems some folks have them, others don’t. I have noticed if the Speaker begins by reminding everyone to turn off phones, etc, the incidents are cut down drastically. Too bad a reminder is needed.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Holly Nagel | Report answer as…
Ringing cell phones/Blackberries (even if they’re on vibrate, they make considerable noise if they’re sitting on the table), people having side conversations and loud discussions in the hallway outside the meeting room always take me out of the moment.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Lynnette Moody | Report answer as…
Lack of agenda, and distraction from the task at hand. If everyone’s there for a reason, and stays focused on those topics and objectives, it’s easier to keep everyone’s attention. When the meeting gets distracted, or goes off on tangents, then people start pulling out their Blackberries. At that point, you’ve lost them.
Probably the best way to avoid this is to have fewer meetings. Only have the meetings where everyone in the room is required, where there’s a specific purpose, and where someone is designated to facilitate and keep the meeting on task. The better you do that, the better the results, the faster you’ll achieve those results, and the more you’ll keep everyone’s attention to meet that goal quickly.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Matt Heinz | Report answer as…
Two-Way Radio Expert, System Design and Support
I fall asleep at most because the presenter does not get the people engaged, they focus on one or two people and not the grind
unfortuneately smart phones have to be on, it is the way we have made the world, our clients want instant answers not answers later
point to prove this, I look after a public safety system the two mins I missed in the last meeting made the company 70k
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Tim (NLA) Tymchyshyn | Report answer as…
For me, it’s the overpowering of perfumes, after shaves, and residual smoke from cigarettes. I get headache or sneezy and have a tough time concentrating.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Cyndi Carver | Report answer as…
Other people. Or rather the ones who have come to be heard rather than contribute. I normally wander off if the meeting is stalled because of these people. [JHP]
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Dr John H Pettit | Report answer as…
Not setting forth an agenda, objectives an getting buy-in. I’ve taught whole classes on this it is so important. Any meeting which lacks these three ingredients is doomed to fail or be less effective!
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Greg Johnson | Report answer as…
Experienced IT Project Manager open to new permanent or contract opportunities.
In my experience, avoiding meeting distractions is similar to avoiding other maladies…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In addition to having a clear agenda (as others have mentioned) I’d like to add the following:
1. Ensure that the appropriate [minimum] participants are invited. Assuming that the everything else is on point as it should be, the folks that you may consider dropping from similar meetings in the future are pretty easy to spot…few questions are asked of them, little is contributed by them, and they’ll usually be the ones looking out of the windows, at blackberrys, dozing, etc. Don’t fear recording questions for later follow-up if you find that you need input from folks who would otherwise have little to contribute.
2. Be mindful of the clock, your current place in your agenda relative to it, and keep the team on point/message. Some exploration of issues may be necessary from time to time, but similar to the previous point, don’t be afraid to table discussion of side issues at a appropriate stopping point for later off-line discussion.
3. Schedule the minimum amount of time necessary to complete the agenda and answer questions with minimum fluff. Don’t be lulled in to scheduling more time than you need to “just in case”. Not saying it’s always appropriate, but you’d be surprised at what can be accomplished in a focused, 15-30min meeting. Keep in mind, that meetings are most interesting when they address issues with the most interest to the most participants in the least amount of time.
In a nutshell, meetings are extremely expensive, and eat person-hours quicker than the cookie monster eats cookies…I believe that if you respect everyone’s time, start/end when you say you will, and keep the team on point, there will be far less time for participants to be bored/distracted…
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Delbert Haynes | Report answer as…
Accountant/Business Analyst
The truth is that anything, phone, industry periodical, grocery list, Joe’s tie (who dresses this guy for work, a leprechaun?! . . . Uh, sorry). Anything can be a distraction when the meeting is something I could have read in a memo/email. When the topic is something for which I am involved or must contribute to move a project along, passenger jets landing 100 yards away would barely distract me.
The ability of the meeting organizer to keep the conversation and interactions on target is also important to keep attendees involved and undistracted.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Steve Kehling | Report answer as…
Consultant; interim manager
Cell phones especially email enabled devices. In my world meeting rooms would have jammers.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Martin Thomas | Report answer as…
Several – first, if the attendees don’t show up on time, and wander in after the start time. Either the organizer waits for them to arrive, you get them up to speed after they arrive, or they ask questions of material already covered.
Second is if the organizer isn’t prepared – you may end up waiting on a computer to be set up, a projector that doesn’t work, etc.
Lastly, attendees that rise to get a donut, coffee, water, go to the bathroom, etc.
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Jude Sweeney | Report answer as…
CTO & Human Search Engine
Many
1. Some times the Projectors would not work. Some one wants to plug in a Windows 2003 server to a projector, it may refuse to connect. ( XP connects easily). Ensure that all participants’ laptops are compatible. Else, copy all the presentations into one computer connected to the projector.
2. Some time people tend to talk about irrelevant topics. Let the moderator ‘cut it short’.
3. People coming in and going out of the room.
4. Ask every one to put mobiles in silent mode or switched off mode.
Don’t be surprised to see some people dozing off!! Bear with them as they are not distracting atleast 
Ramesh
The Human Search Engine
posted 28 days ago | Reply to Ramesh Kumar | Report answer as…
Brand Manager at Cobra Indian Beer Pvt. Ltd. Currently trying to revamp and vitalize the brand portfolio.
The most important thing is to be prepared, to know the subject and purpose of the meeting, and what you hope it will achieve. If you can’t find the time to prepare for meetings then you should stop calling so many.
Another is to know the people who are invited. Think ahead as to which individuals are most likely to make the greatest contribution, and anticipate others who you’ll have to, as tactfully and gently as possible, interrupt to move the discussion along.
Finally, keep the objective of the meeting constantly in your mind so you’ll keep moving toward the goal. But if the goal changes during or because of the meeting, be prepared to invent Plan B.
Over the years, has technology changed meetings?
Yes. Some for the better, some for the worse. As an example, information technology has made it possible for a lot of details to be made available quickly to a large number of people, so attendees can be better informed about anything being discussed.
That’s a positive. The negative is that people now present too much detail. With charts being created mostly by computers, people don’t stop with the main points; they can’t resist the unnecessary elaboration.
Has technology created more distractions in meetings?
Technology has increased the potential for bringing new distractions, though I don’t know that the total distraction level has changed. Are cell phones in meetings any more or less distracting than people being called out to take phone calls?
Or people reading incoming e-mails instead of paying attention to the speaker?
Now on dozers and dozees, the people who doze off during meetings and the presenters who cause them to fall asleep. Any tips for dozers?
Almost everyone I know who has seen the book has felt compelled to comment about that chapter. If you attend enough meetings, it’s inevitable that you’ll doze off sometimes.
Al Carnesale, the chancellor at UCLA, told me about the advice he got when he was younger: “When you wake up, don’t say ‘WHATt?’ Say ‘WHY?”‘
Bala
posted 27 days ago | Reply to Bhalchandra Pai | Report answer as…
Expertise: Operational Efficiencies & Margin Enhancements
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Environment: If the room is too hot or too cold. If the room is set up in a way that makes it difficult to see the presentation clearly. If food is served throughout the presentation – clinking of dishes and such.
Presenters: If they read the slides or present canned material that doesn’t apply to the organizational culture they are addressing. When they do not make eye contact or attempt to engage the group.
Technology: When the required equipment is not up and running or even tested prior to the meeting’s start. All personal communications equipment should be checked at the door.
posted 27 days ago | Reply to Monica M. Paul | Report answer as…
Hey Jolene …
1. Presenter’s grammar errors
2. Hard to read PowerPoint slides
3. Amateurish handouts
4. Presenters who read the presentation
posted 27 days ago | Reply to Dale Collie | Report answer as…
Business Writer, Editor and Blogger | Marketing Communications | B2B | Business Development
Too much mumbo-jumbo. I get lost when the chair prattles on and on using what seems like an endless stream of acronyms.
posted 26 days ago | Reply to Judy B. Margolis, MA | Report answer as…
For me the biggest distractions are as follows:
Environmental- If I am hot, to cold, to loud, to quiet, outside noise, speaker’s in a bad place in the room, chair is rickety, sitting to close to each other, have to turn or twist to see the speaker, that sort of thing.
Rude audience-talking between themselves, on the phone, reading, texting all of those things drive me crazy
Presenter constantly apologizing is a huge distraction.
Thats about it for me
posted 24 days ago | Reply to David Lake | Report answer as…
Experienced, productive, and affable IT professional
People who drone on in an unfocused fashion tend to cause me to lose interest, whether I want to or not. Also, those who take very long to get to the point tend to lose me.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Bill Nigh | Report answer as…
Honestly, almost anything can prove a distraction. If the planner/presenter does not engage the audience, then that small piece of dust floating through the light of the projector can triggered distracting thoughts of the upcoming snowfall or that ski trip to Vail four years ago…or the snow globe in that movie with Orson Wells…what was that movie? Hey, I wonder what is playing at the cineplex this weekend…hmm, what should I have for dinner? Oh, shoot, I need to stop and get milk on the way home…I wonder if I unplugged the iron before I left this morning…you get the picture.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Bob Jackson | Report answer as…
1. Ill prepared consultants whose computers are set to automatically connect to another outfit’s site. The consultant wastes my time trying to remember how to connect to my site–and wastes my money in doing so.
2. Loud hard drives on laptops.
3. Cell phone calls, especially when the presenter takes the call and wastes my time. If the presenter is a consultant, the presenter is probably wasting my money as well.
4. Sidebar converstions which make it impossible for the presenter to be understood.
5. Attendees who chronically arrive late and want to catch up on what they missed.
6, Ill prepared presenters who forget where they place the presentation and must search for it while everyone waits.
7. Projectors which constantly need to be readjusted.
8. People who do not understand how the phone system works so they can conference someone who is remote. (Should have used a tool like WebEx or GoTo Meeting.)
9. Meetings which must take up the entire time for which the room was reserved regardless of the actual time needed for the meeting.
10. Meetings where the agenda is not followed.
11. People who are distracted and constantly ask questions about previously covered material.
12. People who become argumentative with the presenter or with one another.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Sharon S. Plate | Report answer as…
Environmental distractions such as a noisy background, people too far away from a speaker phone to clearly hear them or (my pet peeve) inductance static from a cell phone placed too close to a telephone cord. For remote attendees, these distractions can turn an otherwise productive remote meeting into a pointless waste of time.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Randy Arthur | Report answer as…
Software Partner Manager at Canonical Ltd.
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If the presenter captures your attention there will never be any better distraction to pull you away. Provided the presenter knows the material, presents it in a fashion that is interesting and fun you will NEVER be distracted.
When a presenter stinks, you will find yourself distracted. Most of the time, if I get distracted, I bail.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to John Pugh | Report answer as…
Contractor at TAC Worldwide
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Managers and/or VPs
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Jeff Kittle | Report answer as…
IT Leader and Project Manager – bringing value to business
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Having the wrong people at the meeting. Attendees that are not engaged and motivated indulge in non-productive behaviours that distract everyone.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Ian Wilson | Report answer as…
People who type whilst attending conference calls resulting in the sound of a keyboard being ‘bashed’ and them not concentrating on the meeting!
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Andrew Long | Report answer as…
Professional Workaholic crystal.rast@gmail.com
Best Answers in: Mentoring (1)
If it is a meeting that I know ahead of time has no affect on my ability to do my job and that subsequently I’ll have no ability to contribute to the meeting, then I find meetings in and of themselves a distraction. In those cases, there is absolutely nothing that can be done to gain my attention in the meeting other than the occasional digging of my claws into my skin to refocus the crossing of my eyes in front of the presenter.
Assuming that you are speaking of meeting that I have reason to attend because it impacts my contributions to the company or my own direction can contribute to others and it is a meeting that must be conducted in person (thank god for conference calls), then I would say the following are distractions:
1. Meals being served during the meeting—who really wants to listen to animals grazing at the trough, and there’s always someone with a vegetable stuck in their teeth.
2. Either very cold/very warm rooms—I love cold rooms, but the gal with her teeth chattering next to me may not. On the opposite spectrum, who really wants to smell someone else sweat?
3. Powerpoints—Gawdalmighty, I have been Powerpointed to death. If I see another cutsy animal clip art in a presentation, I swear I’ll lose my meeting breakfast croissant. If I want to see a movie, I’ll go to the IMAX. I immediately disengage when someone warms up the projector. Give me a real person with real stories that are meaningful, interesting, hopefully funny and completely void of corporate touchy-feely jargon or give me an agenda and let’s crank through it, so I can get back to work.
4. Texting—everyone knows it’s a no-no to have their super-unique, hip hop ringtone blasting through the room, but how many times do we have someone on their equally supercool iPhone (or in my case, blackberry) texting or typing messages? Tap, tap, tap, tap…Drives me nuts.
5. Completely open forum meetings—there is always someone who just wants to hear themselves speak which delays getting to the meat of a meeting (why you are there in the first place). I prefer sticking to an agenda/presentation, getting to the purpose quickly and succinctly, then have a very limited time for open discussion (and for each person). Give them a Jeopardy buzzer if you need to but keep them concise.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Crystal Rast | Report answer as…
1. Generally, I see meeting organisers announce their approach and expectations from the meeting after everyone assembled. Different types of approaches require different level of participants. For example, a status review meeting requires differrent inputs and approach to a root cause analysis review meeting. Organiser needs to know the usage of right meeting tools and techniques.
2. Not involving the right level of stakeholders in the meeting
3. Late comers put me off a lot
4. Cross talking
5. Ringing of Cell phones (it is an insult to all the participants)
6. Presenter’s lack of presentation skills and / or subject knowledge and / or preparation
7. People who want to show off by always being on the mail box
8. Many times, I see the meeting organiser pushing back Q&A to the end of the meeting. I feel comfortable asking / being asked questions as they come to enable me participate / conduct meeting effectively.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Surya Vangara | Report answer as…
Definitely Technology; when the projector isn’t working (not being operated correctly); when a laptop is not working (not being operated correctly). Other distractions include; food, drinks, email, cell/smart phones, late comers, windows with fantastic views, atmosphere and my favorite conference room bingo.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Scott Kirkpatrick | Report answer as…
Certainly in round table meetings, I find that members can get involved in their own conversations away from the main topic
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Stephen Harrington | Report answer as…
Laptop – check cricket scores, IM etc…
Cell Phones, PDA’s.
High heels.
Late Comers.
Cross Talk.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Aravind Ramakrishnan | Report answer as…
Noise, distractions, side conversations, cell phones, wait staff, people walking in and out, bad speakers (the ultimate distraction), laptops, bad sound systems, bright incorrect lighting, eating during presentations (although sometimes necessary?).
Of all the distractions at a meeting, the best way to avoid distractions is to really have engaging material, content, answering questions that people have, telling it in a way that draws you in.
For instance we have a team building event that is immersive and really creates a lot of buzz because if you check out, your team and your company suffers.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to John Chen | Report answer as…
Test & Process Consultant Squerist
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In my opinion there´s differing norms for ´good/effective/efficient´ meetings, depending primarily on the frequency of these meetings and the clarity of purpose.
Incidental/irregular meetings likely serve a different purpose then the regular ones do. My expectations will vary accordingly, a one time show for whatever? I’ll be expecting a naturally smooth, engaging and professional performance. Once my attention is captured, distractions are more or less disgarded by my brain. If the speaker does not succeed in entertaining my intrest, then the distractions seem to be everywhere!! Cannot see one immediatly? Just listen to your own thoughts, the broadcast is pretty continuous 
Regular meetings are usually more interactive, exchanging info, syncing everyone to the current situation and coordinating the following actions/decisions. These meetings can benefitbig time from some appropriate and measured distractions. A joke, a coffee break or whatever just to keep the dynamics and participation going. Unfortunately some people tend to regard meetings as the distraction, don’t think you’ll change their minds!
greetz
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Mykel de Willigen | Report answer as…
Director of Operations at RealCom Associates, LLC – Optimist, Synthesizer, Business Builder…
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Boring, long meetings where the presenter reads the PowerPoint slides word for word.
Or where the meeting topic doesn’t require your engagement.
posted 22 days ago | Reply to Mike McRitchie | Report answer as…
As a professional speaker for more than 25 years, I’ve experienced distractions from the speaker’s AND from the attendee’s perspectives. Speakers are responsible to eliminate or diminish as many distractions as possible. Attendees have little control over distractions and they rely on the speaker to “manage” the environment and related situations. The venue, the room setup, the lighting, temperature, technology … these are just the beginning. Here are just a few of the most common “frustrations” I deal with:
Cell phones: Introducer, before introducing the speaker says: “In respect to the speaker and to everyone in the room, let’s all take out our cell phones and turn off or switch to remote – I’ll give you a moment to do that before we continue.” Introducer looks at audience and pauses to make it clear that he/she is awaiting audience response/action. In a really small meeting (say fewer than 20 people, ask people to leave their phones, BB devices on a table near the door – they can check them at breaks).
Late arrivals: People who enter the room after the meeting has started are extremely distracting, especially when they sit toward the front of the room. As a speaker, I’m not tethered by microphone to the front of the room, I use a wireless microphone and move through the room as I speak. When I see people watching a late arrival, I slowly move to the opposite side of the room while speaking. When you do this you’re re-directing the audience’s attention and you’re saving the late arrival from some embarrassment.
Room temperature: This is a very common problem. Have an audience member be the “temperature monitor” who knows where to adjust room temp or knows who to talk to about temp. Speaker needs to monitor the room too: “Who is too cold, too hot, just right?” (Watch for people with arms crossed or those fanning themselves!) Then make adjustments based on the majority.
Side conversations: These small group side chats distract the speaker and audience members seated nearby. The speaker needs to manage this. They often sit toward the back of the room where they think they have some anonymity. Instead of disregarding this, with the wireless mic I slowly move down the center aisle while speaking. The closer I get to the “offenders” the quieter they tend to get. I make (non-judgmental) eye contact with them and they realize that I’m quite aware of them. Because my programs I highly interactive, I may even verbally engage them in a non-threatening manner.
Technology failures: Murphy’s law applies here … if something can go wrong, it probably will. Be prepared with backup alternatives. Be prepared to speak without PowerPoint if need be (gotta really know your material or have terrific handouts!) For every piece of electronic equipment you use ask yourself, “what will I do if this fails?” Redundancy and alternatives must be planned in advance.
I’ve written several articles on these topics … see links below.
posted 21 days ago | Reply to Suzanne Boswell | Report answer as…
I help companies increase their ROI by engaging my services as:Social Media Marketing Consultant|Diversity Coach|Speaker
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Cell phones and people looking at their PDAs as if saying I rather be somewhere else than here
May the moderator of the meeting being boring
A long presentation
A presenter that doesnt attract my attention and doesnt engage his audience
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Sahar Andrade | Report answer as…
Owner, Oregon Community Communications
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OK, so plenty of serious and practical answers here. I’ll just pass on three of the most memorable meeting-stoppers I’ve encountered.
1) A Silicon Valley meeting, Mid January, with some senior folks from the upper Midwest. They arrived wearing overcoats, the outdoor temp is in the 80’s. About 5 minutes into the meeting a tall, athletic, and very well equipped young lady in daisy dukes and a halter top roller skates past the room-long window. Even the presenter forgot what the meeting was about.
2) Meeting in a downtown hi-rise (ok, all of 7 stories, but in San Jose that’s a high rise). Building is just off the approach path to San Jose International Airport. Meeting in progress. A B-17 bomber thunders past the windows on a low approach, close enough to see that the co-pilot needs a shave, followed every few minutes by another vintage aircraft. Meeting over.
Moral: Bunkers, maybe.
3) Afternoon status meeting, October 1989. Meeting was supposed to end at 5PM. At 5:04 a 7.1 Earthquake rather abruptly ended the meeting. DIscussion on disaster prep suddenly takes on new emphasis.
Moral: Larger and sturdier conference tables.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to David Foley | Report answer as…
“Hands-on” Software Architect and Senior Developer
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The meeting itself can be disorganized, elliptical and unproductive.
I like making people aware of the fully burdened cost per hour of employees. Then multiply that times the number of attendees. What is the value proposition for listening to that disorganized babble? Often not justified.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Geoff Feldman | Report answer as…
Meeting itself is a distraction from work. waste of time..
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Sarnath Kannan | Report answer as…
Interestingly I wrote about this last week:
My personal top 3 distraction factors:
1 – Smartphones / Laptops
2 – Compulsive talkers (Egomaniacs)
3 – Absence of agenda, moderator, facilities.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Eugenio Diaz | Report answer as…
Consultant – Business Services at CorpSecrets
Best Answers in: Staffing and Recruiting (2)
I have not read every response so far, but it is apparent that cell phones, technology, and catering staff are all bad distractions. From years of experience during my own meeting attendance I would say:
people in close proximity that want to talk about something else entirely, loudly enough it is rude and annoying
cell phones, laptops, should not be in the meeting period
catering should be organized ahead of schedule so no interruptions are neessary
bouncy box – to cint..
Meeting ‘Agenda’ should be sent out a week prior asking participants if there are any topics they would like to see added. Then again, a day or two before the meeting, re-send the amended agenda. Asking attendees to participate in the Agenda encourages attention when they go to the meeting, thus, discouraging those that are ‘otherwise’ occupied. If it is anticipated that ‘value added’ info will be addressed, people will take the matter much more seriously.
An effective meeting is continually moving, giving each presenter time to get their message across and then quickly on to the next, this alleviates the ‘boredom’ factor. This box is bouncing again so I hope I can answer again to complete my thoughts.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Trish Johnson | Report answer as…
Perhaps your asking the wrong question. The number of potential distractions are too numerous to list. Instead I suggest you focus on how to hold attention of the attendees – best done by having a specific purpose and my only inviting those who are stakeholders – and understanding your subject matter well enough to act as the conduit to come to succesful consensus to move ahead. Simply conveying information to a group is not effective use of a meeting unless you are a genuinely … entertaining .. personality.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Fred Brill | Report answer as…
Clair is a top training consultant and in order for her to excel at her job she needs to ensure she has 100% attention of her audience.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Shailender Thakur | Report answer as…
Agree with Dave – phones are indeed the most destructive instruments in a meeting so are people walking about/out during a presentation, jargon used, excessive use of technology. Very important is also the audience – are the right people who can contribute to the discussion/subject attending or are people there because they “need” to be there or should be “seen” there!!!!!!!!!
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Maheen Mohamed | Report answer as…
Strategy Consultant & Coach @ www.shinergise.com “Engaging with Intelligence”
Jolene
One that I encountered recently is when it becomes obvious to the audience that the presenter’s ego-driven need for attention is clearly more important than the business needs that the presenter is supposedly there to serve!
Admittedly it is something that tends to dawn on the audience with different rates of realisation, however when it starts to happen the distraction sweeps through the room!
Regards
Hamish.
posted 19 days ago | Reply to Hamish Taylor | Report answer as…
Iphones, Itouch, Blackberry or any phone is a big time distractions in meeting even if they are on silent mode. People tend to keep checking unknowingly can be very annoying.
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Harish Sharma | Report answer as…
CEng MBCS CITP
Best Answers in: Certification and Licenses (1)… see more, Occupational Training (1), Organizational Development (1), Project Management (1), Communication and Public Speaking (1), Software Development (1), Wireless (1) see less
feeling hungry, wanting to go to the toilet, feeling tired, noticing someone walking past the room, seeing an interesting pattern in the carpet, remembering something to add to the shopping list, etc.
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Duncan Campbell | Report answer as…
People who deviate the discussion just for the sake of speaking.
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Abhinav Pancholi | Report answer as…
Owner, PC9LIVES & Willow The Good
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A speaker who isn’t comfortable and keeps looking at their notes and fumbling with paper. They lose their place and the audience waits for them to find whatever. A good speaker is comfortable in their own skin and can talk from dot points and can improvise.
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Kate Ritter | Report answer as…
When the presenter or audience starts exhibiting their knowledge(sometimes out of the topic too) distracts and disturbs the mind preparation of active listeners …
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Jay Sundaram | Report answer as…
dragging discussions, blackberry users and (word->paragraph) talkers..
posted 18 days ago | Reply to Siddharth Udani | Report answer as…
Outreach team at Microsoft
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Hello Jolene,
Having a clear agenda and sharing with colleagues prior to meeting is invaluable. For great templates check out the Microsoft Office Template Gallery: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=meeting&av=TPL000.
Learn more about how Microsoft Office can help you manage your work by joining the MS Office LinkedIn Discussion group: http://bit.ly/Lp5CA. This is an open group and we encourage your participation on leading discussions.
Yours,
Tara Sharp
Microsoft Outreach Team
posted 17 days ago | Reply to Tara Sharp | Report answer as…
National Account Executive at PC Mall
We have meetings everyday, they’re clear, precise, and we’re in and out of there and back at our desks, so few distractions there, however at previous jobs I’ve had and even now with the “occasional” vendor that comes in to talk about their products. The biggest “distractions” are long meetings, if cell phones are being used, it’s probably because as others have said here…the meeting is pointless, poorly organized or my biggest beef esp with mfr’s is that they don’t know who they’re selling to.
I actually had a very popular software mfr come in and say “This program is a software program, do you folks know anything about what it does?” as if we were mental midgets, speaking to us as one would a child. Or the wrong market “Our target market is folks with 1-5 employees and consumers ” uhhh you do know OUR target market is B2B over 100 employees”
They spent $$ to come in and they weren’t prepared at ALL, how can you not even take a minute and talk to someone “I’d like to speak but i need to know about your company a little first”. Or the Commando’s, “You sell our product but YOU don’t produce as much as this guy”..countered by “well YOU the vendor did not give US the marketing material to sell YOUR product” not only did that put off the entire audience but no one likes to be put through that nonsense. So yes there are distractions, but if the meeting is engaging and you really get something out of it, then chances are few people will be checking sports scores, gazing out the window, playing BS bingo, or day dreaming about that gal or guy in accounting.
posted 16 days ago | Reply to Tim Stepp | Report answer as…
A horrible speaker sets the tone…just finished a session and the presenter was horrific! I tuned out within 4 minutes and consulted my PDA for entertainment.
posted 15 days ago | Reply to Eddie Tadlock | Report answer as…
Startup Specialist
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Wrong People to the right Subjects__________________
> Meeting should be oriented. If any attendee is not related to the subject, he should not be there. Bundle meetings are not productive. Many non-related subjects or sahrd interests.
> There is people who is not prepared or simple does not care. Avoid those
> Sabotage. RatRace or jealousy
> Mobiles, squeezed agenda, too early meeting to late meetings
Right Subjects terrible presentation__________________
> PowerPoint presentations with 16 bullets and 34 rows.
> Obtuse explanation and even worse diagrams
Meeting Requester__________________
> Lack of knowledge about the main subject or lack of knowledge about what/why this meeting is needed.
> Responsibilities and attributions are not clear enough. What will be the output of this meeting, why do we need to stay there?
> Explaining a point or conducting a meeting is not easy task. Manage expectations, emotions and subjects are not easy and is the difference between Cricket discussion or decision taken/information levelled
at Compare Infobase Limited
Its every possible way you can be distracted in the meeting. Apart from this, one can be distracted by their own thought and mind also. Just think this way also. There can be some situations in the meeting when you think something else and that distracts you.
Executive Advisor at Gartner helping CIOs become even more successful
I just attended an event and paid attention all the way through. we were asked to write down why we were in the meeting, what we wanted to get out and what we were willing to share to help others. we then had 1 minute of just closing our eyes and breathing and leaving our “problems/issues/emergencies in the office behind”. It felt weird but it worked. I actually left “my baggage” outside the meeting and paid attention and got a lot our of the meeting.
also at another company we werent allowed to sit down for meetings whcih meant that we all had to stand in a group and it stopped time wasters and procrastinators. only worked for small meetings but kept you focused.
Versatile B2B Professional
Looks like we have all been at time wasting meetings. am probably reiterating what has been said already.
There are a number of top class distractions which we must fight against to stop wasting valuable time – No agenda; no meeting objectives; no take away actions; wrong people; poor meeting stewardship; rambling discussion; people thinking that a three hour meeting is more productive than a well run 45 minute session, because more has been said; monotony and my personal favourite too many in the room killing all chance of getting decisions made – death by committee.
Student at ITT Technical Institute
Usually its the hot chics!
Technology Consultant – Service Delivery Manager
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my standard response (links below)
SAP HCM Managing Consultant
- People having side conversations
- People using laptops or mobioe devices
- People not sticking to the purpose of the meeting
Actually, looking back at my answers, it’s people, isn’t it? If we could only have meetings without people…
Technology Lead at Infosys Technologies Ltd
In my opinion the major reasons of distractions are -
1. Unprepared Presenter or Poor Presentation (Eg; Presenter drifting from the Agenda, Bad Presentation Material – Small Fonts not readable to the audience, too complex artifacts used when presenter is not able to communicate them effectively, Monotonous One way communication, etc)
2. Mismatch between the meeting’s agenda & the audience’s ability to understand or wrong choice of audiences
3. Meetings with a great mix of attendees, no clear agenda, Meeting Anchor or the Attendees jumping from one point to other and no one is there to moderate the meeting.
Eg; Recently in one of the skip level meetings, Attendees were New Hires/ Long time Employees. New Hires were not able to relate to the Old employees questions & Old employees were not interested in the questions raised by New hires. Meeting being swamped away by questions from both the groups, one of the group was always distracted.
Experienced Sr. Business Analyst, SOA/webservices – bridging Business and IT. UML, BPM and process improvement, Lean
Not having an agenda is the key source of distractions
An initial agenda (even a draft) will provide guidance and focus…..
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., financial marketing writer.
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Get rid of personal electronics.
Training Business Manager at Blue Chip Training Solutions
I have a long list most of which have been very well represented so far. However, the most distracting and distructive thing I have seen recently is a badly prepared rambling meeting chair. A well planned and necessary meeting that is chaired well and provides clear detail on what it is trying to acheive and what the attendees have to do post meeting to push the project on can take place on the hard shoulder of the motorway and still retain everyones concentration.
CEO/President at Ben Jen Online, LLC
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People’s cell phones ringing and people figeting
Editorial Director at Information Security Media Group
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People need to check their email/messaging impulse at the door. Focus on the meeting at hand — not all the other distractions. That would go far.
best,
Tom
IT Exec / Data Integration / Management
Cell phones, PDAs, notebook computers.
District Manager
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Usually the distractions have “names”. So I always pre-plan the seating by having people from differing geographical areas sitting together. Usually the distractions come from people who know eachother and start socializing. And if these people start monopolizing my meeting I stop asking for “group” answers and become more pointed in who I would like to answer.
IBM Certified Specialist, System X Sales V5
Whenever a resource not already present has to be contacted to answer a question or clarify something… the meeting flow stops.
PowerPoint slides with just words are NyQuil.
Graphics, Diagrams, and Photos only.
Talented creator of effective communication for business and industry
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Coming late to this topic, I have the luxury of reading other’s responses before providing my own. Thinking about what has been observed/suggested, I see that the items seem to fall into different classes, which then suggests that there are probably different classes of solutions. As a first cut, I see four main classes: External environment factors, Internal environment factors, Personal factors, and Structural factors. Each of these handicaps the successful execution of a meeting in different ways, and I recognize that some items (room temperature, technology) might also appear in more than one category.
Also as Mykel de Willigen points out, different meeting types can have significantly different metrics for success and value. Presentations, demonstrations, weekly reviews, roundtables, classes, postmortems, kickoffs… all of these (and I know this is not an exhaustive list!) have their own rules and codes.
The largest class of proposed items people have submitted, and the one bringing the most immediate responses, is “External Factors”. These are those items that allow the outside environment to interfere with the meeting. In this class we have communications devices, but also human assistants, the view out the window (Thank you, David Foley, for topping any interruptions *I’ve* ever had to deal with! <smile>), and so on.
Internal items compose the next most immediate set of distractions; I see these as including the environment within the room: temperature, lighting, acoustics, fittings (seats/tables), room layout, and of course, presentation technology.
The remaining classes are less mechanical, but are no less capable of derailing a meeting. By “Personal factors”, I mean those that are both psychological and physiological: egos (both audience and presenter), time of day, length of session, skill of presenter, comprehendability (language used, language efficacy (accents, grammar, etc.), and so on.
Structural factors are those probably most under the direct control of the meeting organizer/presenter, and also differ in that they are defined by lacks or failures: lack of focus, lack of preparation, inappropriate scoping of time or topic, and so on.
So… having done research and diagnostics, what can be proposed as the protocol leading to at least a reduction, (although I doubt that there will ever be a cure) of the problem?
Obviously (as pointed out by Suzanne Boswell, Eugenio Diaz, and multiple others), the four-P rule (Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance), is the foundation. Beyond that, reducing the number of variables (as we were all taught in math classes), generally reduces the number (and often scale) of things that do not go as desired. This includes advance planning aimed at reducing distractions (distributing agendas/handouts in advance, properly matching the size/scope of the meeting to the attendees, testing the technology (and planning for error handling), asking folks to be fully present (communication tools OFF), etc.).
I didn’t start this conversation, so I’m going to close out this entry here. Obviously there is a lot more that can be said; I just hope that my analysis provides you with some ways to approach solving the “meeting distraction” issue.
Vice President – Research IT
What about starting and ending meetings 5 mins before the hour?
Example: 8:05 am – 8:55am.
Gives people 5 minutes to get ready for thier next meeting.
Business Development Associate – IAM and Security at Rainmaker
Being late, then causing disruption as you squeeze into your seat after falling over your briefcase!
IT Site Support at RL Canning at Honeywell
Presentations: The wrong type of presentation can be a distraction to the meeting itself. For example, report type presentations that have a great deal of text invite the audience to try to read it, instead of listening to the speaker and engaging in the meeting.
The more effective presentations are ones that simply reinforce key points, thereby allowing the speaker to elaborate on them. This is especially useful in large meetings.
Preparation: many meetings can go south without proper preparation. Have you coordinated with IT and telecom to make sure any technology you need is working properly? Have you arranged to be at the meeting room ahead of time to work out any last time issues? It’s a huge distraction to have to fix problems or work around them during a meeting.
Web Sharing: Schedule your web sharing event to start before the actual meeting time start. Test the selected web sharing software ahead of time with each participating site.
Want more business? My engaging Social Media Relationship Marketing gets results! Christine at ChristineHueber dot com
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My attention follows my engagement.
Best,
Christine Hueber
Engaging Social Media Relationship Marketing with Results!
Professional Engineer
Beware of construction and maintenance activities.
When planning a meeting at yours, a client’s, or other remote site, ask the person who will reserve the conference room to check with the facilities manager to verify, then confirm to you, that there is no construction or maintenance scheduled in, or anywhere near, the intended conference room. Training a group of senior technical people while someone is hammer-drilling the other side of the wall is a needless challenge.
If you have a meeting checklist which you send to clients, may I suggest adding this item to the checklist.
Multimedia Producer and i3D Programmer for Acrobat 3D PDF, JavaFX, Mobile & Virtual Worlds
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SmartPhones!
Banking Professional
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Attire..esp that of women….and their makeup….
Customer Service/Quality Assurance Professional
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Lack of agenda….largest distraction. there are so many time you can listen to someone talk about the same thing over and over and over.
Personally, I think meetings should last a max of 30 minutes at the very most, if it can’t be laid out in that time, then there’s more serious issues at hand.
J. Swerdlow – Multi-Media Consultant
I noticed that there are over 80 answers to your question. Apologies if I am redundant.
“fashionable” late arrivers…you know who you are…always late for everything…and a bag full of excuses.
these late arrivers are usually the ones that pay the least attention to the meeting at hand. They are constantly typing on the lap tops answering IM’s, emails etc.
Bless the electronic age…it seems that everything needs to be answered right now
Side conversations…again, is it necessary..??… if you need clarification, ask the speaker etc..
I could go on, but I am sure it has been covered in the replies….good luck in changing things..
Lead-Technology at Synechron
There can be n number of distractions they can be categorized as infrastructure(improper sitting arrangements, air-conditioning, placement of devices in the meeting room, weak audio etc..) , people( habits of people attending meetings, other distracted members etc.), external( people running around the conf. rooms, noisy instruments, music) , personal ( thoughts about weekend plans, thoughts about promotions/appraisals etc..), technology(software issues, faulty video conf. devices, phone line disturbance etc.) , tools( unclean white board, faulty projects/OHPs etc.)
Associate Vice President at Zensar Technologies
1. Cell phones that ring during meetings
2. People who work on their laptops or Blackberries while discussions are on
3. Participants who come completely unprepared but decide they must contribute and ramble away
4. Participants who do not pay attention to what is being discussed but interrupt with completely extraneous arguments
Experienced executive-level management, Entrepreneur, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, “The Guy to Go To For Solutions”
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In no particular order:
* Presenters who just can’t get to the point. I don’t want the dog and pony show -just convey the information and move on.
* Late arrivals
* Squeaky chairs/tables
* Cell phones that are on vibrate/stun – just turn the things off
* Chronic texters who can’t leave the phone alone
* Long meetings w/o an agenda (keep it under 30 minutes, follow the agenda – if it’s not on the agenda, deal with it off-line)
* Short meetings w/o an agenda. Have an agenda – get us in and out fast. Meetings are extremely expensive to hold.
* Meetings over 30 minutes. I refuse to attend those. I had a boss who wouldn’t either – he’d get the invite, would walk in and say “I’m sorry, but I have a conflict I have to get to. What do you need from me?” Then he’d answer the question, and leave. Average meeting time 7.5 minutes.
* Sick people – I don’t want to be trapped in a room with someone who’s contagious
* Late starting meetings. Start ON TIME, finish ON TIME.
* Mumblers. Speak up. Enunciate!
* Whistling air vents and banging HVAC equipment
* Admin assistants who can’t wait until after the meeting to ask a question of their boss who’s in the meeting
* Loud messy eaters. I don’t want to hear you crunching, I want to get through the meeting and move on. I don’t want to smell your sandwich either. If you can’t wait until the meeting is over, then EAT BEFORE you come in.
* People who fall asleep…. and snore (or drool).
* People who are unprepared for the meeting. Review the agenda. Have the answers the agenda calls for readily at-hand.
* AV equipment that’s not setup beforehand.
* Handouts that aren’t distributed beforehand. It’s your meeting, get there early, get things set up on your time. Don’t waste mine.
* Rooms which are uncomfortably warm or cold.
* Rooms which are too small for the invited crowd.
* Large rooms with poor PA systems – echoing, too soft, too loud, dead speakers, crackling speakers.
* Persons uncomfortable with public speaking. Go to ToastMasters – learn to deal with it, or have someone who is comfortable with speaking hold the meeting.
* Rooms that were left trashed by the previous group.
* Rooms that smell… bad. Like something died in the ceiling bad.
* Fidgeters – Sit still, pay attention.
Quality Assurance Specialist at JTI Gallaher
mobile phones, people with laptops open, squeaking chairs, death by powerpoint.
too many people in the room, coffee/tea making facilities – keep them outside the meeting room.
TONE of voice and BODY LANGUAGE. Presenter has to have a personality – be friendly and engaging – also need a sense of humour.
Senior UNIX & SAN Administrator at BrickStreet Insurance
Cell phones ringing and folks texting throughout the meeting.
The folks talking around you, who apparently never learned how to whisper.
The person who is always nodding off asleep.
Program Manager at Zensar Technologies
Almost all points covered related to unwanted noise, lack of good presentation, audience engagement etc.
I want to add one more point on when someone is not allowed or interrupted to put his views either by managers or some extra smart people then the person is distracted from the meeting and does not provide his ideas. Some managers think the meeting is for their appeasement place and not for serious discussions/action plans. This many times result in things turn out very badly on the managers itself but those extra smart people still enjoys the power.
Many times context of the meeting is deferred and out of way to make decisions. This result in delay things and could take more time to resolve/plan activities.
Project Manager
1. If the attendees don’t show up on time especially the presenter or organizer
2. Sudden shift in the venue and timings
3. Meeting Room infrastructure is not sufficient for all the attendees
4. Organizer is not prepared and do not have a clear agenda
5. Not involving the right level of stakeholders in the meeting
6. Discussion on the topics that are not in the agenda
7. Devices like Cell Phones/PDA
8. People coming in and going out of the room.
9. Parallel discussions in the meeting room
10. Not having any breaks Long and Lengthy meetings
Outreach Team Member at Microsoft Office
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Hi Jolene,
You might also check out the interesting conversation we had about this topic in the Microsoft Office LinkedIn Group entitled “Effective Meeting Management.” http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=1913738&discussionID=14988868&sik=1269646473654&trk=ug_qa_q&goback=.ana_1913738_1269646473654_3_1
You can join the group here: http://bit.ly/Lp5CA.
Cheers,
Kim
Microsoft Office Outreach
Information Technology Manager/Consultant
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That good looking woman sitting in the corner with legs going all the way up to her armpits and …
Senior Manager at Indian Oil Corporation Limited
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Apart from what others have already written..a yawn from someone is a great distraction. If the meeting is boring and you are trying your best to concentrate, yawn finishes it all. It is contagious too.
Another distraction is serving tea/coffee in the meeting room.
Herbalife Distributor | Entrepreneur | Gratitude Guru | Opportunist | Motivator | Connector | LION (2900+) toplinked.com
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Distractions are exaggerated where the topic is uninteresting and the speaker is not engaging his audience.
Information Technology Consultant
Are you sure the question isn’t backwards?
Meetings are often a distraction from the work people should be doing. People’s minds are not wondering at meetings because they were never mentally in the meeting to begin with, they are only physically there.
If you want people to pay attention and be useful at meetings only invite people who have a real interest in the meeting.
Owner at Colby Family Chiropractic
In addition to the usual answers – cellphones, boring speakers, miscellaneous chit chat – I would include noises made by shifting one’s chair. This is especially distracting if the meeting allows attendees to stand up and introduce oneself. It is far less distracting to silently slide your chair out in advance, so that when your turn comes, you simply have to stand and speak – no movement of your chair necessary.
Manager Operations at Viscus Infotech Ltd
Some distractions are:
1. Moving away from the agenda of a meeting
2. Being late at a meeting and hence restarting a meeting
3. Posing too many questions at the meeting which are just because you should ask. This is incorrect.
4. Eye contacts with one another in a way to make fun of the person taking a meeting
5. Looking wayward into the window, ceiling, fan etc.
Independent Telecommunications Professional
In a meeting it is of great importance that presenters are lively and comprehensible enough to their listeners. People attending the meeting will be easily distracted to their environment when they are not engaged to the agenda of the presenter.
Vice President at City Wide Maintenance
Great question and several very good answers already. Rather than restating what dozens of others have said, I would like to ask where can I get help planning and presenting meetings? Are there any consultants or classes my team and I can meet with?
If you can help please give me a call or email.
Rob Ellis
Rellis@gocitywide.com
Vice President
City Wide Maintenance
913 888-5700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 913 888-5700 end_of_the_skype_highlighting X270
Sales Consultant and a Trainer / Information Technology
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Hello Jolene
1. Cell phone on vibrate mode.
2. Participants Sending SMS
3. Participants on the computer sending and receiving emails.
4. People coming late.
5. Small & crowded meeting room as a result air-conditioning inadequate.
6. In-sufficient electrical points for the Notebooks and people changing cords.
7. Using meeting rooms as dining room during the break.
8. Lack of sufficient resources – such as white board marker; paper for the flip charts.
Thank you
Looking for a job
A human being can only concentrate for a limited amount of time. If meetings don’t take this into consideration, there will be a lot of time wasted and a lot of attention lost…
Application Architect at Chariot Solutions
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Meetings _are_ distractions.
General/Operational Management Professional
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Most meetings, if we are honest, are unproductive, repetitive and pointless, people tend to prepare for the meeting itself, instead of the actual content or topic.
Meetings are a place where people take minutes and waste hours.
Principal at Clarity Strategic
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You’ve already got more than a hundred answers, so this may never be seen. But I actually did a “research study” a few years back on this very question, based on the works of Scott Adams, who may know more about this subject than anyone else on Earth. And also adapted the sermons of Charles Finney to the same subject.
I’d have left you a couple links, but the articles are no longer online, because I’m working through a Web site change – they’ll be up in a couple months. In the meantime, if you drop me a line I’ll send you PDFs.
Dr. Ron Graham
rongraham01@gmail.com
@rongraham1 Twitter
profile.to/rongraham Facebook
Editor at Undisclosed
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Some meetings are completely dysfunctional from start to finish – held to feed a manager’s ego or to diseminate half-truths to the staff.
My mind goes everywhere wondering what the truth is when I can’t believe the things the speaker is saying.
Independent Real Estate Professional
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cellphone,chewing gum, clicking ballpens, looking out of the window, canary yellow socs, nice suit but dirty shoes, incompetence, rushing through topics, “smarty pants” and many other habits, I prefer not to mention.
Distractions are all over the place whether in meetings, or in the public speaking arena. There can be people talking in the audience, plates crashing in the kitchen and a variety of other things that can happen. I would suggest that the great speakers are able to roll with the punches and often times will incorporate the “problems” into their speeches. One of the things that improv training will help you with as a speaker, is this exact issue.
Visit my site to find MORE helpful and important information, it’s: http://www.professionalspeakingexpert.comto sign up to receive my FREE 52 week MASTERS course in Speaking.
Cheers to your success!