【Zero 'Office Point-Gathering' Declaration】 Useless meetings: can you give me that one minute for my work?

“Oh, this is too long. What is the point?”

“My legs are going numb. What is this even for?”

“Why is my time being stolen like this every single day?”

Have you ever felt that way in the office, in your workplace?

Yes, that meeting. That weekly Tuesday status update. The monthly all-hands meeting. And the final blow: the meeting to prepare for a meeting.

Oh, there are so many useless meetings. Truly, far too many.

Regular meetings with no clear topic. Some people hold sessions that could be canceled without any impact, just for their own self-satisfaction. As if it were a stage for them to shine.

For them, a meeting is likely a stage for self-assertion and one of the few ways to prove their presence within the organization.

Meetings held by summoning an unspecified number of unrelated people.

In reverse, that method looks like nothing more than a venue for self-promotion, saying, 'Look at how much work I'm doing.'

Perhaps they just want to leave behind the fact that 'they were there.' Even so, I am somehow required to attend those meetings that continue in form only.

Of course, there are likely cases where they invite people out of good intentions, thinking it 'might be relevant.'

But that is exactly why I want them to think about it. There should be a mindset of carefully selecting only the people who are truly necessary. No one would be angry if there were some screening process involved.

The absurdity of being called in 'just in case,' and having to sacrifice your own time to that 'case'.

The worst is the pattern where a meeting is held solely to unfold one's own pet theory. And that slowly, bit by bit, erodes someone else's work time.

'Meetings for the sake of meetings,' or discussing the summary of another meeting in yet another meeting.

Who is that for? Who on earth are you representing?

When it gets too bad, I sometimes silently leave the meeting room.

If it's online, I can sometimes slip out by saying 'I have another meeting,' but I can't do that every time.

On the other hand, there are people whose job is 'attending meetings'.

People who want to say 'I was busy' just because they attended every single meeting.

Every time there is such a meeting, I think to myself.

In the one minute of this meeting, will you do my work for me instead?

Attending your meeting for one minute means that one minute of my work stops right there.

Unfortunately, my work is not of a nature that can be shared with anyone.

That is the nature of a specialized profession. There is work that will not progress unless I am the one doing it.

And I believe the same is true for your work. I cannot do your work, either.

That is precisely why I wish we could show more respect for each other's time.

But you are obsessed with 'point-hunting'—holding meetings to promote yourself, dragging in unrelated people, and earning points for self-promotion or advancement.

Please, I beg you, stop the point-hunting in the office.

Time is equal for everyone.

Your one minute cannot be shared with my one minute.

Your one hour cannot turn my day into 25 hours.

Especially in a world like a foreign-affiliated company, where performance and expertise are evaluated, this culture of useless meetings is not just inefficient, it is 'extremely annoying'...

And yet, those very people, when I call them to a meeting, will calmly ask, 'What is the purpose of this meeting?'

Then they launch into their own theories again, repeating their point-hunting to make it look like they are contributing to the company.

So, I want to ask you one more time.

With that wasted minute, will you help me with my work?

That one minute is very precious to me.

Please do not take someone's minute away so easily.

We are in an era where we should truly reduce meaningless meetings.

The essence of Elon Musk's theory, 'If you think it's unnecessary, leave the meeting immediately,' lies right there.

If you participate in a meeting for a few minutes and decide that 'there is no need for me to be here,' then leave without hesitation.

Even if it is not that extreme, I believe that at the very least, one should host and attend meetings with that level of resolve.

I am not denying communication.

It is simply a matter of 'delivering necessary information to the necessary people efficiently'.

Please remember: my hour cannot be exchanged for your hour.

The hour you wasted will not return to my hour.

You cannot take over my tasks with your one minute either.

That is precisely why I want you to never forget the weight of taking someone's time.

Being conscious of that is also a kindness of yours, and of mine.

To live kindly... let's take on that challenge.

Thank you for reading 😊

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