How do you deal with clashing meetings?

June 27, 2006 6:19 PM

How do you deal with clashing meetings?

I'm getting involved in more and more *stuff*. This includes things relating to work, socialising, personal development and (for want of a better term) hobbies.

There doesn't seem to be any way to avoid real time meetings. As in a bunch of people getting together at the same time. But even as I start to add just a couple of extra interests stuff that I really want to attend clashes with other stuff I really want to attend. Or, in the case of on-line stuff, sleep.

Does anyone have any tips on how to be involved in a range of interesting or valuable (both professionally and personally) or just plain fun activities that frequently focus on being in a particular place at a particular time? Are the group meetings really the crux of any interest group, or should I be looking at lots of one-to-one networking-esq stuff? Should I suggest or encourage non-realtime communications like on-line forums or (*shudder*) email lists? Will reading through logs and popping up at the odd meeting be enough for me to be taken seriously?

Or do I just have to give up on some things?

posted by krisjohn to society & culture (5 comments total)

Er, don't go to the least important of the meetings.

Think of it like evolution: as you grow increasingly disconnected from the least important things, they'll naturally wither.
posted by bonaldi at 7:06 PM on June 27, 2006

I've always maintained that if you are going to do something, you may as well do it right. So, along those lines, it sounds like you feel slightly overscheduled and pulled in multiple directions. It may benefit you to evaluate which committments are necessary and which are extraneous, and maybe narrow down to a few the ones in which you actively participate. Take the few organizations that are truly important and be a strong member.

It truly is better to be a strong member in a few organizations that a weak one in many.
posted by galimatias at 7:26 PM on June 27, 2006

I end up going to the one that serves the best refreshments and that scheduled it first.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:07 PM on June 27, 2006

Go to as many meetings as possible. You only live once. If you can't think of anything better to say just say "Yeah but not in the south." This covers just about every topic.
posted by zackdog at 11:46 PM on June 27, 2006

What kinds of things are these? A loose "Tuesdays @ Borders" knitting night? Or something more formal? Do you mean as a member or as someone active? I've been on boards, and have had to clean up after other board members who haven't lived up to their commitments because they were too busy being in / running other groups. It was very unfair on their part towards the rest of the board, and the group... and because it's a professional org -- a very dumb move.
posted by mimi at 5:38 AM on June 28, 2006