Friend, I see you in back to back meetings all day

I see you in back-to-back meetings all day.

I see you hello!-ing and how-are-you?-ing on the hour, every hour.

I see you starting the meeting. But not really starting because important people are late.

I see you making a fuzzy company strategy clear for people who need it to do their job.

I see you trying to get people interested in slide 64.

I see you ever-so-politely breaking Sam’s flow, again, so Alan can get a word in.

I see you trying to catch up Jules who arrived at half past for no obvious reason.

I see you juggling five sets of expectations about what should be done in March.

I see you wrestling a decision out of people who want to keep re-combining points they made earlier into new sentences.

I see you having a cereal bar for lunch at 2.55pm.

I see you at 5pm starting on that document you promised yourself you’d complete today.

If you’re wondering.

It’s not you.

It’s the deep groove meeting culture has worn into our workplaces.

You’re doing great.

Friend, I see you.