What You Can Do When Stuck in a Boring Meeting

Let's face it, sometimes you get stuck attending a bad presentation, maybe for continuing education credit hours for your profession or because the political nature of your job or company requires you to be there. What happens then? You suck it up and smile.

But what happens after you have done the following?

• Cleaned out your in-box
• Texted your friends and family to finalize weekend plans
• Tweeted your whereabouts and frustrations
• Posted and commented on Facebook, LinkedIn, and any other darn social time wasters you have access to on your mobile device.

When all else fails, I hope the following attendee SRDs can add enlightenment and productivity to your minutes, hours, days, and years spent in boring and unproductive meetings.

Attendee SRDs

Here are some ideas for rescuing yourself from boring meetings or presentations.

Productive Activities

• Make or confirm your travel arrangements and check in for your flight home.
• Try one more excuse for why you should not be here.
• Do your routine work. Bring along files or documents you need to read or review. Refrain from typing unless others are taking notes.
• Start another meeting digitally. What can you accomplish with others in the room who also feel stuck? Get on your device and start a constructive dialogue with them.
• Have your favorite show downloaded on your phone, iPad, or laptop. If you have headphones, it's a good time to catch up. (Just one ear, though, as you lean your head on your hand.) Soon, many friends will want to join you on your pilgrimage so bring multiway headphone splitters.
• Make your to-do list for the remainder of the day and prioritize the activities.
• Calculate the “Snooze Factor.” Count the total zzzzzz's of the meeting by adding together the ums, aahs, and you-knows uttered by the presenters. Compare your score sheet with your peers to see which presenter scored the highest.
• Refresh the coffeepot. Take time to refill others' cups and offer them something to eat.

Fun Activities

• Try to get other people in the meeting to crack up. Send them a humorous text message. First one who gets caught laughing loses. Better keep them appropriate if you have a “principal” who may want to see what you're laughing about.
• Play “This Speaker Looks Like …” with your neighbor or with the whole group. For extra credit combine one of your neighbors and the presenter and draw a picture of their would-be children.
• Start the wave around the room when the speaker's back is turned. After you do this, post your video at www.BoringMeetingsSuck.com or on my Facebook page for a bonus prize.
• Play catch with a stress ball. How many catches can you make without getting caught?
• Play “Key Word.” Confirm with others a key word that must be used in any questions or discussions and that doesn't relate to the topic. Example: Anyone who speaks must use the word gymnasium in their comment or question; first one who breaks stride loses! For extra credit, and to avoid getting caught in longer meetings, text new words to the players during the meetings. Bonus: It's a great creativity builder.
• Play “Bore-a-Gami.” It's just like origami, and it's do-able in a meeting. What can you make by folding one piece of paper? Have your peers all make the same thing as you and see whose origami is voted the best.
• Play “Buzzword Bingo” (or “BS Bingo,” depending on your preference). Create a box chart with five across and five down, as in bingo. Fill each box with a typical buzzword from your office. Anytime a buzzword is muttered from the speaker, place an X in the box. If you get five down, across, or diagonally, then you win. Just make sure each player has words in different places on his or her chart.

  Need help with these buzzwords? These will get you started: maximize, out-of-the-box, benchmark, innovation, scalable, win-win, dialed-in, client, focus, action items, follow-up, economy, bigger picture, not rocket science, bandwidth, mobile, accountability, drill-down, leadership, repurpose, push the envelope, turnkey, that said, validate, and world class.

• Access games on your phone, iPad, or laptop from your friendly neighborhood app store. Here are some of my favorites:
  • Boring Meetings Suck (of course)
  • Meeting Sound FX
  • Fake Caller and Fake-A-Text, free and paid versions, which can be used in many environments
  • Games that can be played with other meeting participants via Bluetooth or WiFi are even better
• Play “Steal the Pen.” Surreptitiously grab the pen from the people on either side of you. When you're asked if you've seen it, suggest borrowing one from the person sitting next to them. See if this chain of requests can make it all the way around the table. Note: If your neighbor has an extra pen and pulls it out, take that one, too.
• Play “Spin the Marker.” Whoever the marker points to must answer or ask the next question, no matter what. For extra credit, combine this with the “Key Word” game for added excitement.

Absurd Activities

• Take photographs of the presenter using the flash and show them to other meeting attendees while the speaker is looking. Shout out loud, “See, I told you!”
• Bring an hourglass timer and set it prominently in the center of the table. Hold it up occasionally and look worried. Start gasping for breath when it gets close to the end.
• Play “Pass the Remote” by bringing a remote control from home and openly try to pause, fast-forward, mute or just plain stop this waste of time. Bonus points if multiple attendees bring a remote and all do it at once.
• Take bathroom or drink breaks, and each time you come back, be wearing something different. Better yet, have someone else come back and sit in your chair as though he or she has been the attendee all along. Switch again in another 30 minutes.
• Crawl under the table and unplug the presenter's laptop. At least the battery will eventually die.

Well, there you have it. How to have some fun, let off a little steam, maybe even prompt the meeting host, facilitator, or presenter to actually do a better job.