Jodi Henson is a business consultant and an entrepreneur. She works with prospective and existing small business owners to help them overcome challenges and attain their goals. Jodi lives in NE Florida with her husband. You can contact her at jodi@jodihenson.com
I remember some years ago working in the corporate world where every day seemed to consist of endless meetings. The bigger the meeting, the less work got done. Rather than rolling up our sleeves, we typically sat through endless Powerpoint presentations that never got us anywhere.
The well-known saying by author Ken Blanchard, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”, might imply that the more people in a meeting the better. I challenge anyone to try getting something done with 20 or more people in a conference room. I remember sitting in this type of meeting one afternoon and getting hopelessly bored. To get up and leave would have been a political no-no. The subject matter had long lost my attention and I had to find a way to stay awake. I decided to text one of my colleagues sitting waaaay across the room as I could tell she was equally as bored. I crafted a text just to see if I could make her laugh….
“I will pay you $50 to yell FIRE!!”
It worked! She immediately jerked forward and put her head down to contain a laugh she couldn’t otherwise hide. I sat very still with a completely blank look on my face as she looked up and over at me across the room and we silently humored ourselves in the moment. She totally appreciated the comic relief and the secret joke we shared. From then on, we texted hilarious observations and comments that somehow got us through those boring meetings.
Yes, I should have been paying better attention to the subject at hand. While my attendance was expected at the meeting, my input was not needed, and a simple summary email could have spared me the wasted afternoon. On the other hand, through some fun, I forged comradery with one of my co-workers, who in later years, turned out to be a terrific sounding board for more serious business issues.
You never know how those connections and relationships can help, whether it is in solving a business problem, soliciting support, or fostering a partnership. Find fun – yet harmless – ways to make those connections with your staff and coworkers. You’ll find your days going faster and your meaningful contacts growing.
Jodi Henson is a business consultant and an entrepreneur. She works with prospective and existing small business owners to help them overcome challenges and attain their goals. Jodi lives in NE Florida with her husband. You can contact her at jodih@jodihenson.com
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