ReThinking - Podcast Rankings and reviews

As always, thought-provoking, funny, and memorable, your discussion on that modern plague of organizational life had some thoughtful findings and suggestions. You missed one though: how meetings are used as a way of hiding lack of preparation for the work or desire to do one’s share of the work. I’ve had more than a couple of seasoned professionals in high tech tell me that going to meetings is what they do; hence, measuring those contributions as what “they did” is very hard (they don’t have anything to show for it) so their evaluator is either forced to value going to meetings as very successful, unless the group’s output was an egregious failure, or not consider it positively in evaluating the individual meeting maven. Many employees simply don’t want to study and prepare for meetings, which require individual effort, because they don’t mind riding someone else’s coattails. And, since there are so many meetings occurring every day, they can spend their work days warming up chairs in generally passive participation. I remember suggesting running meetings like Bezos was rumored to have run his: the meeting started with a period of focused reading (reading! Wow!) of a multi-page memo on an issue and then an equally focused discussion on the memo. The murderous looks I got reminded me of the looks the temperance league got in saloons in old westerns. My own experience with meetings is that you reduce their number by loosely coupling the agenda to the meeting and, increasing the number of meetings with a daily one held at exactly the same time, outside of which no meeting (other than an emergency) can occur.

Again, excellent program overall, only suggest considering other post-pandemic possibilities.

Adam Grant knows people and what makes them tick. Not only has he used this gift to share ideas about having a better life, but I feel, every single leader has so much to learn about creating a positive work culture and pull them into where we are, 2024 (after the Pandemic and how work places need to catch up!).

Adam is hysterical, authentic and on point. Love his variety of guests (loving Rain Wilson).
- TraysJourney

Do you want to learn, grow, expand your mind and always think? This podcast combines great minds: incredible guests and a brilliant host who help us stretch, think differently and yes, grow by learning from others and not just relying on our own tunnel vision.

Long time listener, first time reviewer. Love this show ! Some feedback to improve- I can’t tell if this is just the editing of the show, but the latest episode on Dunning-Kruger effect sounds like Adam is cutting off and interrupting the interviewee constantly- like the entire episode… it got super distracting! Otherwise not a lot else to gripe about, great job on the show!