Hi, My name is Andy and I attend meetings. It started out to be just causal meetings with the guys on my IT team. We'd talk about things that we were working on and give tips to help solve problems. Then the meetings became organized. We meet weekly and had agendas and formal discussions. After that I started attending project meetings. These were more hardcore with people from different business units and the formality became more important.
I tried to stop. I didn't like attending meetings but I kept getting pulled back in. Of course the longer I attended the meetings became more hard core. Now I was expected to not only attend but to add value and actually be a leader. Before I knew it I even started leading my own meetings and encouraging others to attend. I didn't like what I had become but I couldn't kick the habit. What started out as once or twice a week has now become a 8 to 15 time a week habit. It's affecting my life and productivity at work. Now not only do I attend and am looked to for leadership and guidance but I've taken the next step. Document review.
That's right, I also review documents to ensure that they, and the projects they support, comply with our security policy and to make design recommendations. Now I spend my days writing policy, planning programs and working to ensure compliance. No longer do I configure equipment and troubleshoot network and security issues. No longer do I spend my days working with technology.
No longer am I a technology geek. No longer am I a hands on engineer. My name is Andy and I'm a Professional Meeting Attender. Someone please help me find my way out.
