Revolutionalizing Informal Meetings ( First Stage)

At PABRA, we have always had Coffee/Tea meetings every Wednesday of the week for 30 minutes between 10.30 am to 11 am.

A fortnight ago, a few of us turned up but there seemed to be nothing to share let alone a particular person presiding over the meeting. This has happened quite a number of times since culture has it that it is the big shots who always have something new to share. This is not by making, but it's because they are the ones who usually represent the organization in major meetings and forums. So in most cases, updates revolve around outcomes of meetings and information from the administration such events, visitors expected, traveling schedule etc. As you can imagine, it has always been boring (at least for me) but people had to be there for formality. As they say, everything has a good side of it, and one thing that has always been good about the meeting is cakes and the beverages and I am sure my colleagues would agree with me.

Sometime early this year, it was raised that something had to be done about it and as usual some kind of bottom-up suggestion was raised but thank God the idea was not bought. The suggestion was that everyone had to get involved by sharing what goes on in their office!! One member in disagreement pointed out that it would be best if the meeting was taken as a social gathering, a moment to relax and mix up with the rest of the group since such an opportunity comes once in a week.

Surprisingly, nothing changed and the meeting kept as it had always been. Back to a fortnight ago, everyone was given a chance to suggest what they felt needed to change about the meeting. Having learnt tricks from the second KS workshop, I suggested that it would be best to make changes based on people's needs and preferences. My other suggestion was that, having identified what people want, the chairperson of the day would then have to stir up the meeting and make it lively as he or she felt or is able to. Another member raised that it was better still if people new in advance when they are to chair the meeting so they could prepare for it. I like this idea because not everyone can come up with ideas in an instant and therefore it was an important point to note.

So the meeting was not only to change its vibe, but also it was to change in terms of organization (before, someone would be selected randomly at the meeting).

There was a consensus that in the following week, discussions made would be shared with the big shots (as we were expecting them) and thereafter the chairperson would introduce 'change' based on the agreements made. A chairperson (another big shot) who was present then was requested to preside over the next meeting and he was willing to do so...