Office workers spend about 27 days a year in meetings they believe are pointless. Meetings also happen in schools, clubs, or local councils, like the famous Jackie Weaver meeting in 2020. To make meetings better, preparation is very important. The person leading the meeting should send an agenda and maybe a question before the meeting starts. This helps everyone focus and talk faster. It is good to give quiet people a chance to speak and stop very talkative people from taking over. Introverts can prepare answers or speak early to feel more confident. Online meetings can be easier because people can see names and raise a virtual hand for example.
Vocabulary:
• survey (noun) – a set of questions used to find out people’s opinions or habits
• according to (phrase) – as stated or reported by someone or something
• informal (adjective) – casual, not official or strict
• disrupt (verb) – to stop something from continuing normally
• viral (adjective) – becoming very popular and spreading quickly on the internet• prepped (adjective) – ready or prepared
• evidence (noun) – facts or information that show something is true
• contribute (verb) – to give ideas, time, or help to a discussion or activity
• establish (verb) – to start or create something in a way that is strong and clear
• virtual hand (noun phrase) – a digital signal to show you want to speak in an online meeting
• mute (verb/noun) – to turn off or stop sound
• parish (noun) – a small local church area
• COO (noun) – Chief Operating Officer; a top manager in a company who is responsible for daily operations.