іNO MAS! to bad meetings

I had never viewed a TED talk prior to today.  I honestly was not sure what type of topics I would be able to choose from.  Seconds after arriving at the home page, David Grady’s “How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings” immediately jumped out at me.  The title alone spoke to me and after watching the video, its obvious I am not the only one.  After viewing you also find out David had previously put out a video on YouTube which went viral in which he acts out a poorly run meeting.  It’s a must see (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbJAJEtNUX0).   It is absolutely crazy to watch the video and have experienced meetings almost identical to what David acts out.

In his TED talk video he approaches poor meetings from a different angle.  He puts the responsibility on the invitees to avoid what he calls MAS (Mindless Accept Syndrome).  Although from personal experience, it is an easy habit to fall into.  Despite not always knowing why you are invited to a meeting it seems easier and quicker to accept the meeting than to ask a few questions in regards to your involvement.  After providing some examples of MAS and sharing a portion of his YouTube video, he shares his strategy of іNO MAS!  This strategy consists of using discretion when accepting and utilizing the seldom used “Tentative” button.  As he states at the end of this TED talk, a few probing questions presented respectfully can lead to a better use of your time at work and hopefully begin to change the behavior of the meeting organizers.

David’s presentation was very enjoyable.  He had humor throughout to keep you engaged but he stuck to the true intent of his presentation and didn’t try to be a comedian.  The topic was short and to the point and the message did not get lost.  Although he did not take questions from the audience, you can tell that the audience related to the topic by their facial expressions and laughter.

David Grady : “How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings.”

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_grady_how_to_save_the_world_or_at_least_yourself_from_bad_meetings