Zero tolerance approach
I worked for many years in an administrative role in the NHS. During this time I did not attend a single meeting. Furthermore nobody ever asked me why I had not attended. Maybe if I had gone to a few I would have been missed, but I set the precedent from the beginning.
I realised early on that, if you were doing the job properly, there was more work than any one person could be expected to deal with during the course of a day. There was no point allowing yourself to be dragged away from it unless the matter was urgent. I also knew that anything of vital importance would be communicated in writing, by email.
I once asked a colleague on another ward what was discussed at the meetings. She told me that they mostly consisted of gossiping, drinking coffee and complaining. I had no time for any of this. I maintain that my zero tolerance approach to meetings was the right one.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
