Photo by Svadilfari

I had two meetings yesterday.  One was a status meeting with a group of engineers, and the other was a meeting with a proposal manager.  What struck me was the difference in how people behaved during each of the meetings.

…it was the spring of hope…

The first meeting, with the engineers, was a weekly status meeting on a development program.  It was held in a conference room in the engineering area of my building.  The conference room was a bare-bones affair, with a nondescript table and chairs, and no windows.  The walls were covered with project schedules, and every available inch of counter space held a prototype of some unknown product.  This was where work got done.  It was cramped, to be generous, and I kept hitting elbows with the lefty seated to my right.

…it was the winter of despair…

The second meeting, with the proposal manager, was held in a conference room that was brightly lit from a south-facing window.  This room was located in what is commonly referred to as “mahogany row”, the executive area of the building.  The only reason you ever get called down there is to take your lumps in front of the VP for some screw up.  It’s the place where angels fear to tread.  But I digress.  This cavernous conference room had a shiny cherry wood table with matching chair rail, and plush leather chairs that I could have taken a nap in.  The matching cherry sidebar held two trays of pastries.  First class, all the way.

Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule. - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Guess which meeting was more productive?  While the engineers in the first meeting resembled a frat party, the proposal meeting took on the ambiance of a court martial.  My great expectations were dashed.  The first meeting, in the crappier conference room, offered a forum for everyone to speak freely.  Problems were addressed, without judgments being passed for minor errors.  There was a positive vibe, an exuberance that though they had experienced some setbacks, they could ultimately make the design work.  The second meeting had all of the exuberance of a chess match.  Things were not going well for this proposal, and time was running out.  I had the sense that everyone was sharpening their knives, ready to pounce on the person who dared to utter a discouraging word.  After an hour and change, not much was accomplished.

My point?  It doesn’t take fancy conference rooms and ultra-modern equipment to get things accomplished; what matters most is the mix of people involved.  Surround yourself with the wrong crew, and misery awaits.  Find the right people, and you can accomplish anything.  To paraphrase Dickens, it will be a far, far better thing that you do for your career, than you have ever done.

I have another proposal meeting this afternoon.  I hope they still have pastries.

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