how do you keep a meeting on track? more project mgmt than programming butttt.....

[Jon McKee]

Bob: "...I still think we should be looking at our composite indexes. The ordering is all off which is really affecting performance." Tom: "Yea, but we've also got 'optimizations' I think are doing more harm than good already. That other table has a pseudo-random reverse index for heaven's sake. What's the point of that?" Bob: "True, now that I think about it that table's most common query is non-sargable too which is a major issue." Frank: "I don't really do databases, but I heard about something called a column-store..." Bob, Tom: "Quiet Frank."

[englebart]

On a similar note… schedule the meeting you want with a guaranteed conflict with your boss. Invite the boss as optional.

[Mycroft Holmes]

I'm with the codewitch on this one - avoid them like the plague. I never had any compunction asking the meeting to "move on", same effect as "discuss this offline". I also found asking if I was needed for this discussion and then leaving had a curtailing effect on senior management who liked to pontificate about irrelevant crap. Eventually I did not get invited to non essential meetings which meant I missed out on a number of social events - thank the Great Ghu.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity - RAH I'm old. I know stuff - JSOP

[harvyk0]

1. Have an agenda and stick to it. 2. Be ready to say "let's take this off-line". 3. Document everything, and send around meeting notes. a. If done right, this may have even stopped your boss from wanting to sit in in the first place. 4. Finally be open to listening what your boss wants, and don't forget that they are the boss. Be prepared, that last point is probably going to be the hardest one for you to follow. You made mention that the is more management than programming, the fact is the best programmers not only have good technical skills, they also have good soft skills such as managing people, and that goes both ways.

[den2k88]

While I would find interesting the best implementation of a sliding mean filter in a 10uS interrupt routine, maybe the customer who just wanted an update on the development situation would love to spend his time in more proficuous activities - and so the coworkers who are working on all the rest of the software.

GCS d--(d-) s-/++ a C++++ U+++ P- L+@ E-- W++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

[den2k88]

Or, more often: we're about to delve in a 4 hours long debate over a minor implementation detail, maybe this is neither the place nor the time to do so. Sometimes it is: "you understand :elephant: and :sunshine: about the software whose development you're managing and we're in Europe, there are no elephants here. I will try to hack some sense in you simian brain explain the details in a second moment hopefully never because I have better things to do than try to educate dung beetles".

GCS d--(d-) s-/++ a C++++ U+++ P- L+@ E-- W++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

[den2k88]

I also used: "We can talk about it or we can do it. Your choice.". I haven't been praised for my diplomacy but I have been praised for the efficiency.

GCS d--(d-) s-/++ a C++++ U+++ P- L+@ E-- W++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

[den2k88]

If we're implementing stuff and would end up talking 4 hours about a detail (and possibly duel with live swords over it, you know how we devs can be) maybe it's simply being respectful of all the other people's time. The dev who is working on the UI isn't probably interested in the implementation of the input sensors' filter, as is the engineer who's developing the PCB printing blueprint and the manager who has 10 other meetings this day to keep everyone happy.

GCS d--(d-) s-/++ a C++++ U+++ P- L+@ E-- W++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X

[GuyThiebaut]

Come up with some expectations of what you expect to achieve in the meeting and bring this up at the beginning of the meeting. Such as "I have called this meeting so that we can come to a decision on x, I would like us to decide in the meeting what we will do with x by the end of our meeting time." Then ask people if they agree or disagree with this - that way you are making it clear that they play a part in getting x agreed on.

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

― Christopher Hitchens

[Shmoken99]

1. Have a goal for the meeting 2) Have an agenda for the meeting to achieve the goal and stick to it 3) Deviate from the agenda ONLY if there is a discovery that serves the goal more than the original agenda and everyone agrees 4) Schedule the meeting to end 10 to 20 minutes early so that you can table side discussions and detail problem solving that applies to a subset of the attendees. They can stay on whilst the rest can drop. 5) Invite ONLY people that can help achieve the goal 6) Document action items, decisions, and discoveries. Nobody has time for a transcript.

[BernardIE5317]

I have a tendency to make jokes in meetings. On one such occasion for reasons I do not recall another programmer stated there is a shortage of Priests in the Catholic Faith as the conversation somehow became off topic. The meeting was with a client a big shot Chicago Board Options Exchange trader a very successful and aggressive capitalist worth millions. So I stated "Sounds like a business opportunity" It got a good laugh. I later regretted not also stating "Revs for Rent" "You Pay We Pray"

[ormonds]

Hold the meeting standing up.