2008.08.06 07:00 - The Meeting You're Not In

Hey Everyone, this is Cal and here's the log from Wednesday August 6th, 7am. 

Good Morning!:

Fael Illyar: Hi Cal :)
Caledonia Heron: hey Fael :)
Caledonia Heron: how are you today?
Fael Illyar: Hi Doug :)
Caledonia Heron: hey Doug :)
doug Sosa: hi..
Caledonia Heron: hey Riddle :)
Riddle Sideways: good morning all
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doug Sosa: morning yes.
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Caledonia Heron: I literally just woke up - funny to see people materializing somehow :)
doug Sosa: yes, i woke three minutes ago,
Caledonia Heron: lol, we are on the same page
Riddle Sideways: just drinking first cuppa
doug Sosa: i passed the coffee or i wouldn't have arrived here ..
Caledonia Heron: in the light of fair disclosure, Doug and I met in rl Mon night :)
Caledonia Heron: yes, made some bad coffee in my hotel room
Riddle Sideways: mmmmm

Inquiring after 9Sec experiment:

Caledonia Heron: so how are we?
doug Sosa: but i turned on the espresso machine for later..
Caledonia Heron: good man
Caledonia Heron: what's been going on? how's the 9 sec experiment going?
Faenik: could be
Riddle Sideways: sorry, was writing down another 9 sec thought
doug Sosa: the nine sec spreads into the not nine sec part of life. yesterday could have been tense but the nine seemed to give every moment an easier

more laughabe aspect.
Caledonia Heron: sounds useful for stress then :)
Caledonia Heron: you still with us Riddle and Fael?
Fael Illyar: Sorry, a bit busy in an IM.
Caledonia Heron: ok sure
doug Sosa: useful wouldn't have occurred to me. it was of course, but felt lughter, less likenthe day was defined y uts minor traumas. jus different.
Riddle Sideways: Yes, many times my gong goes off and I have to think "why was I being soooo serious"
Caledonia Heron: ah, ok Doug, understood....
doug Sosa: i did have a very complex dream. what if we could do the nine sec in a dream?

Being where you are, specifically in a meeting:

Riddle Sideways: Hi Gaya
doug Sosa: hi gaya.
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Caledonia Heron: seems reasonable :)
Caledonia Heron: a dream of a dream dreaming
Riddle Sideways: as Faenik says... "Why Not?"
Caledonia Heron: the comment about IM made me remember a current situation
Fael Illyar: :)
doug Sosa: ?
Fael Illyar: Oh, Hi Gaya :)
Caledonia Heron: I'm in intense meetings with a group of people whose mode of being in the meeting is to be on their computer at the same time
Gaya Ethaniel: Hey you
Fael Illyar: you?
Caledonia Heron: I came 1500 miles to meet with these people to have them be multi-tasking
Gaya Ethaniel: Just mean hi Fael
doug Sosa: computers in meetings are terrible.
Fael Illyar: Oh ok :)
Faenik: ah :)
Caledonia Heron: I chose to not open my laptop, rather to sit and talk, be with the group
Riddle Sideways: we once even out-lawed chairs in meetings
Caledonia Heron: so I'm the odd man out
Caledonia Heron: gal
Caledonia Heron: it's weird
Caledonia Heron: I mentioned it to the group - like "I have no idea if you're listening or not" kind of thing
Caledonia Heron: and got a lot of reasons, "oh, well, I'll building a doc for the next part of the meeting
Riddle Sideways: you probably caught most of us doing other things... sorry
Caledonia Heron: so I asked them if they were living 3 hours ahead or being where they were? and what was the point of working ahead if they weren't really where they were
Caledonia Heron: holy smokes.... what a hornet's nest
doug Sosa: but much more interesting to raise the issue.
Riddle Sideways: other then buzzing. did you get results / answers
Caledonia Heron: sort of, it came down on me like this is how "we" (we being discriminatory) work, maybe you don't understand
doug Sosa: here too.
Caledonia Heron: so anyway, out of sync on that front
Caledonia Heron: do people attend meetings like that with y'all? is it weird to you that people aren't *really* present?
Faenik: ah :)

Crackberries, part of this nutritional breakfast...:

Riddle Sideways: many times
Gaya Ethaniel see lots of people just being 'bored' in mtgs
Riddle Sideways: the crackberrys under the table
Caledonia Heron: hi Gaya!
Gaya Ethaniel: Am I not visible today?
Caledonia Heron: just now, to me :) sorry I did not acknowledge you
Gaya Ethaniel sees people blackberrying out in the open in mtgs
doug Sosa: people don't know how to take responsibility to make a meeting alive.
Gaya Ethaniel: no worries Cal :)
Riddle Sideways: I see you, Gaya. It is Doug I can't resolve
Caledonia Heron: yeah bberries for sure, I'm talking facebook, twitter,,,etc
Gaya Ethaniel: doug always appear quite white to me...
Caledonia Heron: me too
Gaya Ethaniel: yeah those too Cal
Gaya Ethaniel: Most of people just don't attend to what's being discussed in work mtgs at least in my experiences
doug Sosa: yes, too white. i haven't found a way to change it. the skin tint adjust doesn't take.
Gaya Ethaniel: oh i c doug so nothing wrong with my puter :)

Suggestions for how to bring the meeting to "now":

Riddle Sideways: I found several techniques to get meetings back to NOW
Gaya Ethaniel: pls tell
Caledonia Heron: ah, let's hear them :)
Riddle Sideways: pass papers around
Gaya Ethaniel: hm... possible
Caledonia Heron: ohhh, good one
Riddle Sideways: get out of your chair and walk around
Riddle Sideways: behind the worst offenders
Caledonia Heron: lol
Gaya Ethaniel smiles
Riddle Sideways: touch people ... ahhh
Gaya Ethaniel: no way
Riddle Sideways: :)
Caledonia Heron: sure, makes sense - make it tactile
Gaya Ethaniel: that'd be impossible to do at work though
Caledonia Heron: not sure about the touching but I get it
Gaya Ethaniel thinks about touching some of her work mates 'erk'
Riddle Sideways: or ... ask their opion on the speakers points
Caledonia Heron: being peeved that nobody is truly present makes it hard to focus on the meeting ..... a little venting, better now :)
Gaya Ethaniel: shame that those people feel forced to be present in such meetings really
Caledonia Heron: yeah, a telecon would do - save me a lot of hassle
Gaya Ethaniel: Riddle that didn't work for me... I had a question back for a question!
Riddle Sideways: in their defense, many probably attend 6 meetings a day
Caledonia Heron: yeah, I get that Riddle
Gaya Ethaniel: yeah... one can be meetinged out... some of my meetings go on over 2-3 days full
Gaya Ethaniel: we lost doug
Riddle Sideways: they burn out and think they need to do other
Gaya Ethaniel nids
Caledonia Heron: this is a specially convened meeting to discuss a new way of doing business at a fairly established workplace - you'd think they'd want to be in on the deal since they bothered to show up
Gaya Ethaniel: nods*
Gaya Ethaniel: Sounds like Cal you had a tough day...
Caledonia Heron: 2 days, 1 to go :)
Faenik: could be
Riddle Sideways: many may not OWN it the way you do
Gaya Ethaniel nods
Caledonia Heron: true Riddle
Gaya Ethaniel: and that's the shame part really Riddle
Riddle Sideways: they just show up to have heard what others are up to
Riddle Sideways: you must make them own it
Riddle Sideways: they must find value in it
Caledonia Heron: (me crabbing about their rude, non-present behavior) ....((great))
Riddle Sideways: then they engage
Caledonia Heron: sure, I get it
Riddle Sideways: even here (as hard as that is to imagine) we have to engage
Gaya Ethaniel: ah... engagement!
Caledonia Heron: yes agreed
Riddle Sideways: and own our collective thoughts / meeting
Caledonia Heron: yes, it has an intersection doesn't it?
Gaya Ethaniel: ?
Caledonia Heron: showing up, whether at work, inworld, at home, about being where you are when you're wherever
Gaya Ethaniel: interaction or intersection?
Caledonia Heron: both :)
Riddle Sideways: both
Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok

Still surveying folks about their clutter:

Caledonia Heron: hey! I have a question
Gaya Ethaniel: Shoot
Faenik: indeed?
Caledonia Heron: have you guys been getting the urge to get rid of stuff? to clean out little corners of clutter, divest of stuff?
Caledonia Heron: actually seeing the clutter around you that you typcially ignore?
Riddle Sideways: ummmm, sort of and yet no
Riddle Sideways: ok, yes that
Riddle Sideways: recently we had wild fires near my house
Caledonia Heron: I have been noticing the parts of my home that are streamlined and clutterfree
Caledonia Heron: and then the places where stuff meets up to talk :) ha ha
Riddle Sideways: we had to pack the things that would make us sad if lost
Caledonia Heron: oh, for sure - tough choices
Riddle Sideways: then you look at what is left in house
Riddle Sideways: and wonder if we even need that stuff
Gaya Ethaniel nods
Caledonia Heron: yeah, stuff you haven't used or touched in ages
Fael Illyar: I tend to throw away stuff when I move or need space for something else.
Fael Illyar: Very rarely at other times.
Caledonia Heron: yeah something new, make space
Caledonia Heron: sometimes it happens that when you clean, make a space, something new shows up to fill it
Caledonia Heron: that's kind of like life too :)
Gaya Ethaniel nods

The things you might want to take:

Caledonia Heron: what kinds of things did you choose to pack Riddle? things that can't be replaced I would guess
Riddle Sideways: yes, pictures of the kids, artwork,
Riddle Sideways: backup hard drive :)
Caledonia Heron: ahh, for sure! the backup's
Riddle Sideways: funny that
Caledonia Heron: data as irreplacable
Caledonia Heron: I would pack the artwork, the pottery, computers, dogs ...let the goats loose
Fael Illyar: Yes, where there is room, something can appear to fill it :)
Faenik: ah :)
Riddle Sideways: isn't that "flow"
Caledonia Heron: how do you mean?
Riddle Sideways: water, energy, stuff flows into empty places
Riddle Sideways: to level everyplace
Riddle Sideways: a full container can't take anymore
Riddle Sideways: remove some
Riddle Sideways: and other can flow in
Caledonia Heron: I can see that

Maybe Faenik was too much for Cavan, he came and went:

Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Caledonia Heron: hi Cavan :)
Riddle Sideways: hi Cavan

What happens when you make a space?:

Gaya Ethaniel: I find myself without much thinking filling 'gaps' when I see it... until I feel it's right. Maybe this is what you're describing Riddle
Gaya Ethaniel: whether it's at home or making something
Riddle Sideways: I think we were saying the gaps fill themselves
Caledonia Heron: yep, ... sometimes stuff shows up, unbidden, unselected
Riddle Sideways: we need to work on making the space / gap for it
Gaya Ethaniel: Ah... you meant things getting cluttered and we need to consciously create space?
Caledonia Heron: funny, my husband is a packrat, and I'm not - it's funny to try and balance
Caledonia Heron: not funny ha ha funny, an amusing tension
Riddle Sideways: understand... that is what makes partnership
Caledonia Heron: that's one thinkg Gaya, the making space on purpose
Caledonia Heron: *thing
Caledonia Heron: sure, understood on the partnership thing... still, very different approaches
Caledonia Heron: wondering about the correlation of stuff to a clarity of mind :)
Gaya Ethaniel: yes neat places help minds to focus
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Caledonia Heron: yes, less attention in the crannies
Caledonia Heron: more open mental space

The relationship between space and comfortable surroundings:

Gaya Ethaniel: I can feel & think better in spacious places
Caledonia Heron: yes for sure - even in sl , for example moving from the teahouse to this pavilion
Caledonia Heron: much more open, a change in discussion, the character of discussions
Gaya Ethaniel: Did it? Didn't know that
Caledonia Heron: for me it seemed different
Caledonia Heron: I didn't feel so cramped in, could camera around better, better sense of what's around
Riddle Sideways: we use to sit inside or outside the tea house and that seemed very different
Caledonia Heron: lol, now we do both at the same time
Gaya Ethaniel: hm.. maybe that explains a little why i don't like our guaridan mtgs in the hall
Riddle Sideways: will this exact pavilion move to new space?
Caledonia Heron: yeah, I don't care for the closed nature of that room either
Riddle Sideways: or maybe bigger / airier
Gaya Ethaniel: i find that place rather oppressive... could be the colour scheme
Caledonia Heron: no, I believe the structure is in place and it is different
Riddle Sideways: I have not lookedd
Faenik: indeed?
Riddle Sideways accepted your inventory offer.
Caledonia Heron: I have given you a landmark
Riddle Sideways: TY
Caledonia Heron: yw :)
Fael Illyar: the new place is a bit more open :)

Reactions to physical spaces:

Gaya Ethaniel: Oh don't misunderstand 'that place' I mean the hall of appearances
Caledonia Heron: no, I got you Gaya, agree that HoApp feels closed in
Gaya Ethaniel nods
Riddle Sideways: sorry, I had a kitty interrupt... "pet me"
Caledonia Heron: lol
Gaya Ethaniel: After about 30 mins I can't wait to get out... never thought I'd be so affected by the appearance of SL
Gaya Ethaniel smiles
Caledonia Heron: yeah I kind of zero out the surroundings so I can focus
Fael Illyar: :)
Caledonia Heron: otherwise I would probably leave
Gaya Ethaniel: outside Cal?
Caledonia Heron: I don't know, get to feeling itchy, restless when feeling cooped up

Space as it effects productivity:

Riddle Sideways: Cal, what is the RL meeting room like that you are spending 2-3 days in?
Gaya Ethaniel: Sorry I mean you zoom out enough to see the hall during the mtgs?
Caledonia Heron: sometimes Gaya
Gaya Ethaniel: including the surrounding outside the hall*
Gaya Ethaniel: i c
Caledonia Heron: it is a govt building, not very imaginative Riddle, a small room, stuffy, with probably more people than is optimal
Riddle Sideways: maybe that is also why some people bring outside influniences in there?
Caledonia Heron: partly sure
Caledonia Heron: it also has an obsession/addictive feel to it
Caledonia Heron: like they're driven to it :)
Fael Illyar: :)
Riddle Sideways: I am sure. was looking at minor points
Gaya Ethaniel used to love having meetings in the Embankment Gardens
Caledonia Heron: that sounds really nice
Gaya Ethaniel: Only rarely. Not all senior managers were brave enough to do that
Faenik: indeed?
Gaya Ethaniel: You know I still find myself identifying with my previous job
Gaya Ethaniel: Maybe it's sign that I should go back to it
Caledonia Heron: maybe it means it was fulfilling, something to take forward :)
Riddle Sideways: well folks I need to go to my current job and meetings now. I think I shall take a laptop out in the garden
Gaya Ethaniel: Yea... possibly it's surprising to realise that I haven't taken my current rold to my heart. Thought I did but everytime I talk about work it's from my previous two roles in publishing
Caledonia Heron: me too :) meetings then the airport

Mixes of goodbyes and last thoughts about job satisfaction:

Gaya Ethaniel smiles 'Good day Riddle'
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Riddle Sideways: bye all
Gaya Ethaniel: Good day Cal
Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Caledonia Heron: hmm Gaya, something of note there :)
Riddle Sideways: have the nice day
Caledonia Heron: bye Riddle :)
Gaya Ethaniel: ? Cal
Fael Illyar: See you later Riddle :)
Caledonia Heron: that you think of your past jobs not your current one
Gaya Ethaniel: yeah... just realised yesterday and today
Gaya Ethaniel will think about it a bit longer...
Caledonia Heron: are they different fields?
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
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Gaya Ethaniel: yeah those two were in publishing and now i'm in sort of IT stuff
Caledonia Heron: sounds like an indicator :)
Gaya Ethaniel nods
Caledonia Heron: a preference
Gaya Ethaniel: yeah... should sleep over it
Gaya Ethaniel: anyhow, my hour is up
Faenik: ????^^
Caledonia Heron: me too :) glad to see you both :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Thanks again for your time Cal and Fael
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Gaya Ethaniel: _/!\_
Fael Illyar: Ok, see you later Cal, Gaya :)