Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

Why do we have so many meetings?

One thing I never understood is why some groups have so many meetings. We have people in meetings all day everyday. Then they are on all night either in (you guessed it) meetings or I assume doing actual work. What is the obsession with having so many meetings? I don’t see it as a positive use of people’s time but as a waste of people’s time. It appears to me that we do a lot of talking but not a lot of doing. We don’t have the luxury to do this anymore. We need to be smarter about how teams spend their time.

Why is it this way? What can we do to change it? Is there some technology we can use that will restrict the number of meetings someone can attend in a day forcing people to really consider whether a meeting is required? There are most likely other solutions than sitting in a meeting to get the information you need.

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| 3081 views | | 23 replies (last August 27, 2021) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1cwcixid

23 replies (most recent on top)

Weekly safety meetings for the last 15 years is uneffingbelievable. 30 minutes of every week wasted. Meanwhile, expected to be at the office during a pandemic.

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Post ID: @1ori+1cwcixid

I've worked for three Fortune 500 companies. XOM surpassed all (almost combined) in the amount of useless time spent in meetings. When you couple this with the amount of time spent performing non-value added busy work I always found it hard to imagine how the company grinds out projects. Structure is not a bad thing, but when you have a discombobulated web of management, stakeholders, and advisors who have to give buy-in to every little detail as it relates to project execution, it just gets exhausting. This is one reason why I think experienced hires have such a rough transition. Those who come in with a decade or more of experience and know how to get things done within their craft are all of the sudden bridled and told to slow down and get all of the right people in agreement. XOM lifers tend to navigate this minutia better since they grew up in it and they're also familiar with the areas of process that can be cut or mended. XOM was the trickiest company to work for in finding the right balance of work execution, network growth, and upward management. I had the bright idea that work execution should at least 75% of my focus, but in reality it probably needed to be 25%.

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Post ID: @1eob+1cwcixid

Meh, the meetings don’t bother me. While all the sucka$$ folks are huddled together I’m in the field getting stuff done. It’s nice, no oversight, no pestering. The bonus is when they order you to go do something you’ve already done. I just laugh and walk away leaving them looking and feeling like a F’n id--t.

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Post ID: @1sqp+1cwcixid

Me - I've attended several meetings in the past week.
There were some big dawgs talking about very important things at those meetings that I've attended.
Discussing (and cussing I must say) about the future and how to keep it bright.
Sometimes there is repetition, yes, but the message must be drummed in.
I think everyone would agree with that. Without the ratta-tat-tat, the zombies lose the track.
Right? Am I right?

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Post ID: @1cdq+1cwcixid

If you in an organization like CSR, what else would you do other than making up s-h-it and attending meetings?

People with talent and a desire to make a difference in the world are the ones who are busy doing real work and are not in meetings.

So think again! which part of EM is expected to have less meetings?

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Post ID: @1elb+1cwcixid

The same reason there are so many pointless posts on the Layoff board.
Completely irrelevant, aimless fluffing.
Same thing.

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Post ID: @1npm+1cwcixid

Silver anti PIP bullets

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Post ID: @lmy+1cwcixid

Meetings. Everyone's favourite alternative to working

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Post ID: @fod+1cwcixid

Lots of meetings are needed because XOM is a matrix organization with many stakeholders for most projects

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Post ID: @vha+1cwcixid

Agile!

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Post ID: @lfk+1cwcixid

I've worked full time for two of our competitors and they are all the same when it comes to meetings.

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Post ID: @ffi+1cwcixid

It’s not just an EM thing, it’s a big corporate thing. If you don’t want meetings all day go to a individual contributor role or a smaller firm.

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Post ID: @dnt+1cwcixid

I once heard a manager say verbatim “we will keep having meetings until we figure out why nothing is getting done.” Really, dude?

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Post ID: @org+1cwcixid

The reason is because management is filled with people with expressive personalities. They can’t do anything without trying to get attention for it and it’s a never ending cycle with no actual work getting done. This company could eliminate 75% of management and still run without any problems because management doesn’t really do anything meaningful.

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Post ID: @sms+1cwcixid

Bc no one has decision making authority

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Post ID: @xyl+1cwcixid

Because everyone needs to buy in to whatever that is proposed or to be done.
All stars MUST align for anything to happen.

Because leaders wants updates for every single thing.
So that the leaders can report upwards and not look stupid when higher management ask them something.

Because every single damn thing is important and you cannot miss it. Otherwise your lack of presence will bite you back as not being cooperative/collaborative due to complaints.

I guess like what some said, it's a mark of importance.
I can't find my SLS all the time, always busy with meetings.
Guess it works well for him for career progression.

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Post ID: @lvy+1cwcixid

Just to look busy. Just like Elon Musk said it, "Meetings us what happens when people are not being productive"

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Post ID: @ktc+1cwcixid

To get line of sight into the business drivers that will provide our shareholders the winning proposition.

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Post ID: @wwc+1cwcixid

It’s so people can ball wash in high visibility groups.

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Post ID: @cxr+1cwcixid

It's called alignment

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Post ID: @lco+1cwcixid

Again...it is about culture...I have seen that some people are sooo proud that they have plenty of meeting and jumping from one meeting to another...Most of them haven't work somewhere else and does not know that there are simple way on how things can get done without too many alignment meetings!!

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Post ID: @xqk+1cwcixid

To gain visibility and look busy?

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Post ID: @tte+1cwcixid

Ugghhh.... EMIT controlling how many mtgs I have a day?! No thanks.

I'd prefer to still be an adult and manage my own calenders.

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Post ID: @quh+1cwcixid

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