Have you ever been in a meeting where you couldn’t get a straight answer? Everything presented is a problem; every problem is devastating, and the world as we know it is coming to an end. Turns into the proverbial “blame-storming” session. Well, you are not alone. I have been in many of these meetings as well. Frustrating!
So after the meeting, you take your frustration, vent a little, then put together a plan of action. You say to yourself, “I think I will talk to Jack directly.” So you set up a meeting and Jack accepts! You are stoked; he actually accepted! Interestingly, when the conversations are one-on-one, the hyperbole goes away. Frustrating!
Let me submit you have the meetings in the wrong order. You know the “hyperbole – ians.” Meet with Jack before your open forum, and you can build a message without the hyperbole. Increase your interactions on the small and medium “issues,” and be honest. If the problem is big, call it big. If the problem is small, call it small. Get an understanding of the issues and build consensus. Before you know it, the hyperbole will go elsewhere.
Until next time.
– Dr. Dave