Have you ever participated in a meeting that just goes on for eternity? You know that isn't really the case, but when people start ignoring the RED light ... the meeting can become like a runaway train, creating ruts and going where you never wanted it to go. As Toastmasters, we are spoiled by the universality of the well organized and executed Club meeting. They start on time. They end on time. Then, the universe is as it should be - orderly and timely.
Considering the plethora of growing Psychiatric disorders, I imagine that the next release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM will include a formal diagnosis of "Meeting Fatigue." Perhaps the only reason we have not seen this new classification is because pharmaceuticals have not discovered the perfect remedy in pill/capsule form. When it does make the list of mental conditions, I suppose it will have a similar variation in "Death by PowerPoint."
What seems comical today, is the latest dysphoria tomorrow. I suggest the following symptoms ...
- uncontrolled drowsiness
- mild narcolepsy
- moaning
- spontaneous scribbling or doodling
- clock watching hyper-vigilance
- fidgeting
- subtle pleadings (ie., please God, let this meeting end)
Most commonly, you will hear individual sufferers say, "that's two hours of my life that I will never get back." We may jest, but how many of us ever share the simple, time tested solution with our employers? The Toastmaster Experience or TE ( not to be confused with TM - transcendental meditation ) illustrates perfectly, that a well organized meeting and flexible agenda can serve to execute a perfect meeting. Don't keep this miraculous cure for MF ( meeting fatigue ) to yourself, share it today and save your colleagues from falling victims to this viral atrocity.
