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Messages from the archive of Rutherford Hall, critical communications strategist
WhatsApp to Stephen: That meeting was terrible. Staff were on their phones at different points of the session. I’m pretty sure Alice was playing Candy Crush while I was talking, her eyes were down the whole session. And people text snark to each other about whoever is speaking. This is meant to be our hive-mind meeting and it feels like half the team are always somewhere else. The only buzz is people’s phones.
From: [email protected]
I don’t know if you saw the latest memo from Jamie Dimon at JPMorgan Chase. It’s full of great insights. But there is one thing he said that I wanted to highlight to all staff — his comments on people using their phones during meetings to read texts, emails or even social media. As Jamie says this is “disrespectful”, wastes time and “has to stop”.
I know we are all juggling multiple pressures on our time. But when we gather together for a meeting we do need everyone to be present in mind as well as body. Someone will have gone to some trouble for the meeting, or we are pooling our collective brain power. Either way, you owe everyone else your attention.
The upshot of Jamie’s message is that, at the very least, everyone knows not to do it in meetings with him. Doing it to Jamie is worse than disrespectful; it’s career limiting. From now on in meetings, think of me (and Stephen of course) as the Dimons of Monkwell. We’re in comms, so communicate some engagement. Visible signs of boredom will be remembered during appraisals season.
Let’s do it like Dimon. Phones down; heads back in the room.
Rutherford.
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WhatsApp to Stephen: Yes, I accept that some meetings are more important than others. The ones that I’m chairing are more important than others.
WhatsApp to Stephen: No it doesn’t depend on the meeting. This is about manners and best use of time.
WhatsApp to Stephen: So you’re saying that some meetings are so useless, using them to answer texts is a more productive use of time?
WhatsApp to Stephen: Well they must be your meetings, mate.
WhatsApp to Stephen: People play Rutherford bingo in my meetings? What even is Rutherford bingo? I learnt to keep meetings short and sharp when I worked at Number 10 — a dynamic sprint away from the peloton.
WhatsApp to Stephen: What do you mean “that’s bingo”?
WhatsApp to Alice: Where were you? I texted over two hours ago?
WhatsApp to Alice: Oh ho, ho. You were in meetings and didn’t want to disrespect the client!
From: [email protected]
OK. I hear you all on the texts in meetings. I agree we have to be available to clients but there does need to be balance. So I’ve decided to make this easier for everyone. To help you all be present in mind our meetings are now no-phone events. You’ll leave your mobiles at your desks. Exceptions will only be made if agreed in advance for really urgent messages. Rutherford.
WhatsApp to Stephen: Yes, all meetings.
WhatsApp to Stephen: How can I do that? If we say only some events are no-phone meetings what does that say about the value of the others? Better to take a more aggressive view on the need for meetings.
WhatsApp to all@Monkwell: OK, rapid, standing huddle on the phones in meetings issue in my office in 15 minutes.
WhatsApp to all@Monkwell: I see a way through this. I will draw up guidance setting out new best practice to ensure more effective meetings.
WhatsApp to all@Monkwell: No, obviously I won’t be meeting you all to get views. Send me an email if you’ve something to add.
From: [email protected]
To accompany our new no-phones policy here is the new meetings strategy:
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Meetings should ideally be five people or fewer.
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They should have a clear purpose and outcome/decision.
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If you’d rather be on your phone, why are you at this meeting?
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Keep them short.
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Once everything has been said it does not need to be said by everybody.
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Question the purpose of any meeting held fortnightly on Thursdays at 10am (the day and time are illustrative obviously). Too many of these meetings exist to meander over what has been achieved, what might be achieved and what could have been achieved but for the fact that it wasn’t.
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But we will still have our weekly all-hands hive-mind meeting. It’s important to have one time when we all share info and ideas.
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Meetings bingo is now a disciplinary offence.
Messages recovered by Robert Shrimsley