Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
MEETINGS
Do you ever feel as though you spend all your time in meetings?
Henry Mintzberg, in his book The Nature of Managerial Work, found that in large organizations managers spent 22 per cent of their time at their desk, 6 per cent on the telephone, 3 per cent on other activities, but a whopping 69 per cent in meetings. There is a widely held but mistaken belief that meetings are for “solving
problems” and “making decisions”. For a start, the number of people attending a meeting tends to be inversely proportional to their collective ability to reach conclusions and make decisions. And these are the least important elements.
Instead hours are devoted to side issues, playing elaborate games with one another. It seems, therefore, that meetings serve some purpose other than just making decisions. All meetings have one thing in common: roleplaying. The most formal role is that of chairman. He (and it is usually a he) sets the agendas, and a good chairman will keep the meeting running on time and to the point. Sadly, the other, informal, role-players are often able to gain the upper hand. Chief is the “constant talker”, who just loves to hear his or her own voice.
Then there are the “can’t do” types who want to maintain the status quo. Since they have often been in the organisation for a long time, they frequently quote historical experience as a ploy to block change: “It won’t work, we tried that in 1984 and it was a disaster”. A more subtle version of the “can’t do” type, the “yes,
but…”, has emerged recently. They have learnt about the need to sound positive, but they still can’t bear to have things change.
Another whole-sub-set of characters are people who love meetings and want them to continue until 5.30 p.m or
beyond. Irrelevant issues are their speciality. They need to call or attend meetings, either to avoid work, or to justify their lack of performance, or simply because they do not have enough to do.
Then there are the “counter-dependents”, those who usually disagree with everything that is said, particularly if it comes from the chairman or through consensus from the group. These people need to fight authority in
whatever form.
Meetings can also provide attenders with a sense of identification of their status and power. A popular game is pinching someone else’s suggestions. This is where someone, usually junior or female, makes an interesting suggestion early in the meeting, which is not picked up. Much later, the game is played,
usually by some more senior figure that propounds the idea as his own. The suggestion is of course identified with the player rather the initiator.
Because so many meeting ends in confusion and without a decision, another more common game is played at the end of meetings, called reaching a false consensus. Since it is important for the chairman to appear successful in problem-solving and making a decision, the group reaches a false consensus. Everyone is happy,
having spent their time productively. The reality is that the decision is so ambiguous that it is never acted
upon, or, if it is, there is continuing conflict, for which another meeting is necessary.
In the end, meetings provide the opportunity for social intercourse, to engage in battle in front of our bosses, to avoid unpleasant or unsatisfying work, to highlight our social status and identity. They are, in fact, a necessary though not necessarily productive psychological sideshow. Perhaps it is our civilized way of moderating, if
not preventing, change.
Answer the following questions:
i) What is the purpose of a meeting according to the writer? (3 Marks)
ii) The “can’t do” type wants to maintain a status grow. Elaborate. (2 Marks)
iii) What does devoted to side-issues”” mean in this context? (2 Marks)
iv) What is the position in the organization of those who steal others’ ideas? How do they do it? (3 Marks)
v) What does the “counter-dependents”mean? (2 Marks)
vi) Complete the following table:
| People | Role at Meetings | |
| 1 | Keep the meeting running on time & to the point | |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | Can’t Do type | |
| 4 | Sound positive but resist change | |
| 5 | Role-Players/Attendees | |
| 6 | Chairman |
i) According to the writer, the purpose of a meeting is not primarily to solve problems or make decisions, but rather to serve as a psychological exercise where participants engage in role-playing, social interaction, and sometimes avoid work or highlight their social status. Meetings often involve side issues, games, and power dynamics, with decisions being secondary or ambiguous.
ii) The “can’t do” type resists change and aims to maintain the status quo. These individuals, often long-tenured in the organization, use historical experiences or past failures as a reason to block new ideas or initiatives. They often quote instances from the past, like "It won’t work, we tried that in 1984 and it was a _________ ______ ____ ____ __________ _____ ________ _______ ____ _______ ______.
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