| In the Star Wars movie's famous bar scene you | | | | action forward. Try to cajole them to action. Remind |
| knew, by appearance, what zany character was | | | | them they have a vote and were invited to use it. |
| sitting beside you. Each character had a distinctive | | | | Ask them their opinions on matters to draw them |
| look. Yet in meetings you may have no idea the | | | | out and get them on record. |
| constellation of characters that you're meeting with. | | | | The Brown Noser |
| That's because their normal outward appearances | | | | There's likely one in every meeting. The person who |
| belie often troublesome behavior. Use this article as | | | | is so obsequious, bending over backwards to |
| your guide to the crazy cast of characters you're | | | | ingratiate himself or herself to the boss, the meeting |
| likely to encounter in your meetings. Whether or not | | | | leader or other power broker. They're so busy |
| you're armed with a light saber, you'll nevertheless be | | | | currying favor with others they subvert whatever |
| equipped to do battle with these oft-destructive | | | | true feelings they have about issues to "kiss butt." |
| forces who subvert meetings with their bothersome | | | | They are seen to be in the pocket of the person |
| behavior. | | | | they're cow-towing to. Ultimately they are seen for |
| The Monopolizer | | | | who they are and become predictable. Try to elicit |
| This person thinks he or she is the only one with | | | | their ideas and preferences before asking others as a |
| wisdom on subjects. The monopolizer believes | | | | way of drawing them out. |
| everyone else is there to hear him or her speak, and | | | | The Pandora's Box Opener |
| so they do, incessantly. They don't appreciate that | | | | These meeting monsters just have to tackle issues |
| meetings offer an opportunity to hear from many. | | | | that are emotional, touchy or are "hot buttons" for |
| They prattle on and on, arrogantly acting as though | | | | others in the meeting. In every meeting there are |
| their ideas or beliefs are inherently more important | | | | topics sure to strike a nerve, to provoke an |
| than others. Sadly other people shy away from | | | | emotional reaction or enter the group into a |
| contributing, intimidated by the monopolizer's | | | | quagmire. These people lead the entire meeting into |
| stranglehold on the meeting. When facilitators allow | | | | areas that provoke frustration, animosities and often |
| this it sends a message their rudeness is sanctioned. | | | | resentment too. Once this box is opened, it's hard to |
| The facilitator or even other meeting participants | | | | get its issues back in the box. Discussions of salaries, |
| should indicate an interest in hearing from others in | | | | promotions or personal styles often stir up issues |
| the meeting, to remind the monopolizer that others | | | | that hijack meetings. Even worse, some culprits |
| can speak as well as listen. | | | | reopen issues from earlier in the meeting that have |
| The Tangent Talker | | | | already been resolved. The best cure: a firm "let's not |
| This person hijacks the topic of the group by taking | | | | go there' from the meeting's facilitator. Other phrases |
| discussions off on tangents - topics unrelated to the | | | | like "let's cross that bridge when we get there" or |
| issue at hand. One minute you're on topic and the | | | | "that's a hornets nest we don't need to disturb" |
| next minute you're in "left field" as your agenda topic | | | | labels certain subjects out of bounds. |
| has been taken to a tangent. Your meeting chair's | | | | The Attacker |
| ability to recognize and refocus is essential to a | | | | As children these people were bullies. Some haven't |
| productive meeting. "Let's remember to confine | | | | grown up! The attacker deftly mixes negativity with |
| ourselves to the topic at hand" is a good way to get | | | | personal attacks, challenging others' ideas with vigor. |
| back on track. Alternately saying, "Let's try to avoid | | | | Without regard to hurting others' feelings, the |
| tangents" also labels such behavior as contrary to the | | | | attacker uses a confrontational style to object to |
| group's aims. As well, you can "park" extraneous | | | | others' ideas and go against the flow. Sadly, |
| items in a "parking lot" list where they're noted, if | | | | sometimes they don't even realize they're attacking. |
| only to be addressed later. | | | | A good facilitator can refocus them to be positive, to |
| The Devil's Advocate | | | | remove the sting from their words and avoid an |
| Let's face it, there's one in every crowd and most | | | | adversarial approach. All meeting participants are |
| meetings too. This person seems to relish taking the | | | | entitled to stop the meeting when attacked |
| opposite tack. Whatever the argument being put | | | | personally. Ad hominem attacks are attacks against |
| forth, this person delights in taking an opposing view. | | | | one's person. People can criticize your actions or |
| It's sport for them, an exercise in opposition. The | | | | beliefs, but you don't have to tolerate attacks |
| more unpopular the stance the more exciting their | | | | against who you are as a person. |
| challenge. Often they begin by saying "just for the | | | | The Joker |
| sake of argument...I believe the opposite is true...." | | | | Don't let their good nature fool you, Jokers can be |
| While there's value in looking at issues from multiple | | | | meeting monsters. Their constant joking has the |
| points of view and avoiding groupthink, the Devil's | | | | effect of diminishing others' serious ideas or |
| Advocate applies their technique to every issue, | | | | suggestions. Their infusion of humor can belittle |
| every argument and every conversation. Hold on to | | | | others' motions and makes it difficult for some to be |
| your Agenda and get comfortable. This could take a | | | | taken seriously. There is a time and place for joking. |
| while! A good chair can praise this person's ability to | | | | While we all like a good laugh, constant joking |
| do this while simultaneously indicating its | | | | disrupts a meeting and distracts attention from |
| inappropriateness given time parameters or previously | | | | where it should be. A meeting chair can designate |
| agreed issues. | | | | several minutes at the start or middle of a meeting |
| Thy Cynic | | | | specifically for humor. When it crops up elsewhere |
| The ultimate naysayer, this person has a Masters | | | | and is deemed disruptive, the chair can remind people |
| degree in negativity. Adroit at the phrase "it won't | | | | the time for humor is passed or forthcoming, so as |
| work" they are skilled at deflating and defeating | | | | to control it. |
| whatever motion is in motion. "Can't be done." "They'll | | | | The Robots |
| never buy it." "We tried it once and it was a failure." | | | | Yep, these meeting monsters are actually cell |
| Their motto: just say no. Challenge these people to | | | | phones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDA's) and |
| think like The Devil's Advocate and suppose for that | | | | laptops. Each distracts their owner and others too as |
| things could work. Use the common conflict resolution | | | | they intrude on participants' attention spans during |
| tool of asking them to embrace the other side's view | | | | meetings. It's gotten so bad now cell phones contain |
| as if it were their own, and argue that side's position. | | | | cameras within them...just what meetings need. A |
| The Fence Sitter | | | | good meeting chair will create ground rules for |
| Known for their paralysis by analysis, these | | | | meetings, including turning off these gadgets at their |
| characters are unable to make decisions. Despite | | | | outset. It's hard to compete with human distractions, |
| being in a deliberative body, they are conflicted by | | | | let alone electronic ones as well. |
| multiple arguments, and can't "pull the trigger" when | | | | As you can see, meetings are full of characters. You |
| it's time to make a decision in a meeting. They | | | | should study the behavior in meetings, including your |
| provide fodder for the Devil's Advocate, the Cynic | | | | own, to better understand your style of interaction. |
| and other characters with their ambivalence. Whether | | | | The character of your meetings will surely be |
| they are afraid of being wrong, or of disagreeing | | | | affected by the characters in your meeting. May the |
| with someone else, or just going on record, they are | | | | force be with you. |
| a meeting monster for their inability to move the | | | | |