Meetings Bloody Meetings (1993) - full transcript
I've got to go to a meeting.
It's a phrase that makes
most people's heart sink.
It echoes with
boredom, frustration,
and a general waste
of valuable time.
And yet, we all know you
can't manage without meetings.
A team isn't a team unless
we all get together
to worry away at problems
and come to decisions.
The answer, of course, is to
have efficient, effective,
and productive meetings.
But we all know that's
easier said than done.
A recent survey of 1,000
executives and managers
from top American
companies revealed
that they felt that 1/3 of the time
they spent at meetings was wasted.
And it's even more
serious than it sounds,
because the more senior you get,
the more meetings you go to--
17 hours of them a week for the
top executives in the survey.
And 80% of the 1,000 also
felt that running meetings
was a crucial test of
a manager's ability.
Meetings are management.
They're at the heart
of any quality program.
And any quality organization,
for that matter.
Good meetings set
everyone off with a sense
of purpose and a feeling
they've got somewhere.
Bad meetings leave them demotivated,
irritated, and alienated.
If you think about
it, a meeting is often
the only time the whole
management team comes together.
It's the only place
where the leader
is seen as a leader, rather than the
official individuals report to.
If they feel their
time has been wasted,
they lose respect not
just for the leader,
but also for the
wider organization
that put that leader in place.
And now for the really
depressing finding.
People who run meetings badly
don't improve with experience.
Even worse, people who attend their
meetings pick up their bad habits.
Many of them genuinely don't
realize they're making a mess of it.
They aren't even aware that running
meetings is a teachable, learnable skill.
But of course, it's not a gift.
It's a technique.
In fact, a technique
with five key elements.
These five elements supply the
framework of the Video Arts
Training Video, Meetings,
Bloody Meetings.
It's the most popular
video we've ever made,
and probably the most widely
used training video of all time.
And that means that
quite a lot of people
do realize that running meetings
is the central management
skill, and that it
has to be learned.
And the fact that
you're about to watch it
suggests that you
share that realization.
So I hope you enjoy it.
John Cleese and Robert Hardy
in Meetings, Bloody Meetings.
What time do you want
the clock for, dear?
Oh, quarter to six,
please, darling.
Quarter to six?
Mm, I've got a
pre-breakfast meeting.
Pre-breakfast meeting?
- Tim?
- Hmm?
Why can't you do your
work while you're at work?
There isn't time.
I have to go to meetings,
apologizing for being late
because I've been kept
at the previous meeting,
and leaving early while making
arrangements to meet again
in order to finish the meeting, so
that I can get to the next meeting.
This goes on until leave work when
I can, at long last, start work.
Done nearly four hours tonight.
Do you think it would make things easier
if I came and slept at the office?
Why don't you come and
sleep at the meeting?
Everyone else does.
In fact, if it wasn't for
the rest we got at meetings,
we'd never be able
to work this late.
This isn't work, is it?
Hm?
You are hereby summoned to appear in
that you did exceed the speed limit.
Well, I was late for the
meeting at the factory
because the meeting at the
office went on and on and on.
Insulting behavior?
Well, I didn't realize
that the motorcyclist
cutting in and waiving
was a policeman.
You waved back?
In a way, in a way.
Oh, Thursday afternoon.
You won't be late for
the Thomas's, will you?
No, no, no.
It won't take long.
It's a court case.
It's not a meeting.
They're all the same,
really, aren't they?
What?
A lot of people
in a room, trying
to establish what
happened and why,
and deciding what
to do about it.
Nothing like each other at all.
At court, you have
rules, procedures.
It's all organized.
Meeting, you just meet.
Timothy James
Brown Smith, you're
charged with chairing without
due thought and preparation,
failing to signal your
intentions to the meeting,
negligent ordering
of the agenda,
not being in full control
of your discussion,
and failing to record decisions
of the meeting. How do you plead?
I, I think I'm supposed
to be in a meeting.
- But this is a dream.
- Yes.
Well, you can't have a meeting
now, you're in bed, asleep.
But supposing I got a
meeting in this dream?
It won't matter if you
don't turn up, will it?
Anyway, these are
very serious charges.
If proven, they amount to
cold blooded time-wasting
and conspiracy to obstruct the
course of good decision making.
Why pick on me? My meetings are
no worse than anyone else's.
You don't establish your own innocence
by proving the guilt of others.
First charge, chairing without
due thought and preparation.
You haven't got any evidence.
Will you kindly cast your
mind back to six minutes
past 10 on the morning of
April the 7th this year?
Your weekly production meeting?
Oh, Christ.
What's keeping him?
Sorry I'm late.
The meeting for bloody planning
went on and on, as usual.
Wasting time.
Well, nice to see you all again.
Tim, how long is it going
to take this morning, then?
Well, it depends what we've
got to discuss, really.
Do you mind taking the
things you need me for first?
I should be on the floor.
Yes, I should think so.
Well, nice to see you
all again, as I said.
Gosh, is it really
a week since we met?
It seems like yesterday.
It was yesterday.
What?
Well, we had to make a decision
about the quality program.
Oh.
What a fool.
So you did.
Well, Howard?
- Sorry, have we started?
- Yes. Right.
Well, nice to see you
all again, as I say.
What are we talking
about this morning?
Well, we better talk
about that first.
[INAUDIBLE] agenda,
item one, the agenda.
Now Ian has got to go
pretty sharpish, as I say.
Look, what have you got?
I'd like to talk about
the night shift stand by.
Ah, yes.
And I had a word with
Frank about that,
and he thinks that two
will be enough until we
get ahold of the new B265s.
- What about the weekend?
- Well, see what you think about this.
Yes, this is nice. Not sure
about the allocation there,
but he will let
me know next week.
So, what else we got?
Well, I always think it's very
useful to get together like this.
You know, just to see if--
Is there any point in
having got together?
- What?
- It's good.
Great.
Thanks.
Oh, Tim.
I saw Hawkins on Friday.
Oh, that was it.
What did he say?
Well, he thinks we'll probably be
all right until the last quarter.
But he did point out that that new
cooling system has got problems.
Well, I've taken care
of that, you see.
There wasn't any problem
in the cooling system.
They were using
the wrong coolant.
Haven't read the instruction
manual, as usual.
So they were using
the type grade A,
but this new one takes double
X. So the whole system--
replaced the bearings,
and there's no damage,
and everybody seems to know
about the double X now.
So we shouldn't have
any more trouble there.
Good.
Right.
Well, what else does
anyone want to talk about?
Nothing for me.
- Nope. - No.
- No.
[BEEPING]
Good.
Right.
Well, there wasn't anything
anyone wanted to talk about.
- Including yourself?
- Yes.
Well then, why have the meeting?
It's the weekly meeting.
You mean, it's like
climbing Everest?
You do it because it's there.
Look, normally there's
plenty to talk about, OK?
- Well, there wasn't that time.
- No.
- Why didn't you cancel it?
- Cancel it?
Well, I mean, I don't know
what they want to talk about
until they get there, do I?
Not if you don't find
out beforehand, no.
Not if you chair without due
thought and preparation, no.
I mean, really.
Suppose I conducted
my court like that?
Prisoner at the bar,
you stand charged
with, he doesn't appear to be
charged with anything, My Lord.
Who made out this indictment?
- I did, My Lord.
- But it's blank.
Well, I thought that would give
everyone a chance to contribute.
You know, let the feeling of the
meeting-- ah, the court emerge.
You know, play it by ear.
I think you'd better tell
us what the charge is.
Well, I haven't given it that much
thought, quite honestly, My Lord.
Things have been a bit hectic
down the station this week.
I thought we could sort of work
something out when we all got together.
You see, you're a menace.
Abso-bloody-lutely hopeless.
You're not supposed to
talk to me like that.
Don't blame me.
It's your dream.
Disgraceful, a total
waste of everybody's time.
Well, not a total waste.
I mean, we sorted out that stuff
about Hawkin and the cooling system.
And Daisy was able to clear up
the standby thing with Jackie.
We got something done.
But those things could have
been done over the telephone
or in each other's offices.
You didn't need a
meeting for them.
I mean, to ask you the question
that you should have asked yourself,
what was the meeting
intended to achieve?
Well, it was the weekly meet--
And what would have been the
consequence of your not holding it?
So, conducting a meeting means,
stage one, preparing yourself
so that you are absolutely
clear what the meeting is for.
And then stage two, making sure that
everybody else is quite clear as well.
Yes, I know what you mean.
Yes, you're talking
about an agenda.
Yes, well I do those sometimes.
Like a fortnight ago?
Yes, I was coming to that.
Second charge, failure to signal
your intentions to the meeting.
The morning of June the
12th, 10:00 AM, precisely.
Right, everybody have an agenda?
Good.
Now, item one, improving
company communications.
I think we all understand
the problem. Ron?
It's a problem, all right. And it'll
cost a lot of money to solve it.
- Yes, you mean staff costs.
- No, not staff, equipment.
Surely it's management
time at the root of it?
No, equipment.
At least six more BDUs.
What?
Well look, if you want
Sales and Accounts
to have direct access
to data, then you must--
I'm sorry, Ron.
I mean, look, we may be able to deal
with this later on if we've got time.
But can we take item one now?
I am taking item one now,
improving company communications.
No, no, no, Ron. It's not the
computer, it's the telephones.
What?
Look, every time we try to get
through down there, they're engaged.
- What? - No, it isn't.
- What?
Well, I'm talking
about how we explain
this year's company results
to the team leaders.
What?
The company results?
I thought you wanted
a new switchboard.
I mean, you know the hold ups
we've been having down there.
Look, I'm talking about
company communications.
So am I.
So am I. I mean, how
can we communicate
if the phones are always busy?
Look, the whole point
of this is to get ideas
on how to explain this year's company
results to the team leaders.
Well, why didn't you say so?
Well, hasn't anyone
done any thinking on it?
- I spent two hours yesterday.
- Ah.
Designing a new layout on
the DTP for the newsletter.
That was your first misdemeanor,
and then hardly 20 minutes later--
I know, I know.
So item six, expenditure on maintenance
on the B11265s and the B219s.
- Ron?
- Well, I've been through all this.
And I can't see where
we can cut back.
I agree. I feel very strongly that we'd
be taking quite unacceptable risks.
- What?
- Look, Tim.
The 126s are over four years old.
Now they need checking--
Hang on.
Hang on.
I'm sorry. I think we should be
spending more on maintenance.
- So do I.
- So do I.
What?
I was talking about
this a few weeks ago.
- When?
- Spend more money?
Well, now that we've postponed
the equipment program.
- Oh.
- Right.
- What extra maintenance will they need?
- What will it cost?
Well, I can't tell you
off the top of my head.
Look, the point of
putting this on the--
Well then, let's think.
Well, we better take
this on Friday, too.
Means I'll have to come in.
Damn.
Ian, will you please have
some figures then? Last item.
- [INAUDIBLE], 10 to 15,000?
- 10% to 15%.
Oh, thanks for telling me.
Now, number seven,
the Sterling contract.
Jackie, how many machine hours?
Well, Fred's kept
me waiting for these
because he's got a problem
with machine allocation.
- He's not sure if we're going to--
- You mean you haven't got them?
Well, I have them
tomorrow evening, latest.
I need a decision on this today.
- Today?
- Yes, look.
It says Sterling Contract,
estimates and terms.
I mean, isn't that clear?
I thought we were
just reviewing it.
Anyway, we can't decide
anything without George, can we?
Why not?
Well, he's got to agree the delivery
dates. That affects the pricing.
Well, we better take
this Friday, too.
We should have just come Friday.
Friday, there goes Friday.
Well, at least we can decide
on some of the figures, can we?
- Yes, why not?
- Get something done.
- Will George be here on Friday?
- Yes, yes, he will be, yes.
Well, we can decide
the materials budget.
Yes, we can.
Yes, what were the corresponding
figures on the Ashcroft deal?
Have you got them?
You know, I think it's probably better if
we take it all in one go on Friday. Yeah?
I'm going to keep mine.
I'm going to frame it.
Well, at least I had an agenda.
- No, you did not.
- What?
Here, this is just headings jotted
down to remind you of the topics.
An agenda's not just a
chairman's crib card, you know.
It's a brief for all
the others to work from.
It's got to define the direction
and the area of the discussion,
and its end purpose.
I mean, imagine that sort
of thing in my court.
Call the first
witness, James Dugdale.
- You are James Dugdale?
- I am.
Uh, My Lord, this
is James Dugdale.
James Dugdale, My Lord.
My Lord, James Dugdale.
Well?
Well, that's all it says, My Lord,
first witness, James Dugdale.
Who or what is Mr. Dugdale?
- I am an expert.
- He is an expert, My Lord.
Precisely what
kind of an expert?
I'm an expert on
Renaissance art.
- On Renaissance art, My Lord.
- Why have you called him?
Well, he is an expert, after
all, My Lord, on Renaissance art.
[INAUDIBLE]
He's here to testify
about the painting.
It's a fake.
The painting is a fake.
- Oh?
- Did he sell it?
Definitely not, My Lord.
Right. We know exactly what
Mr. Dugdale is, why he's here,
and what we expect
to get out of him.
Now then, where is the painting?
Well, where is the defendant?
How about this
Friday? [INAUDIBLE]?
Anybody not do this Friday?
So, make it clear
to everybody what
is being discussed, why
it's being discussed,
and what you hope to
achieve from the discussion.
And anticipate the people and
the information that you need,
and make sure you've got it.
Well, look, I do all
those things sometimes.
If you could you use
that excuse again,
I shall have you hanged, twice.
- Twice?
- Don't argue.
And anyway, even when you do
get all those things right,
you still make mistakes
with your agenda.
Like what?
Third charge, negligent
ordering of agenda
and criminal
misallocation of time.
What do you mean?
Perhaps this will
refresh your memory.
September the 20th, last
year, 3:25 in the afternoon.
Right.
That's item one decided.
Allocation of parking
spaces at the new park.
Six spaces for marketing
and PR, four each
for production management
and factory management,
and eight for administration.
For review after three months?
Yes, yes, right.
Now, take 45 minutes?
Right. Item two, for
decision, McKenna Brothers.
Order for 250 L3s for
delivery, 31st October.
Do we accept the order, or is
October the 31st too tight?
- The L3s are practically obsolete.
- Marcus, they're not obsolete.
Well, we oughtn't
to be selling them.
The L5s are more durable.
They're easier to handle.
Look, I want to take
this order if we can. OK?
It's McKenna, so if we can do this
one, they may come back to us. Rod?
Well, I think we're
making a mistake.
Look, I'm sorry.
It's 10 to now, all right?
Yes, well, if we hadn't wasted 45
minutes discussing the bloody parking.
That was urgent.
The park opens on Monday.
Rod, how can we do
this McKenna job?
Well, we'll have to do
the L3s on number two
and three machines,
tomorrow and Thursday.
Oh, well now, just a moment.
Ian, one thing at
a time, please.
So that will mean completing the
Ashcroft B19 over the weekend.
- The weekend, right.
- Will that give you a problem?
No, no, no. That's fine.
OK, that's it.
Now item number three,
for information.
Forward maintenance schedule.
What's this about, Ian?
- Oh, it's nice to get a word then.
- Do you want to chair the meeting?
No, not now.
I just want to remind you that we'll have
two machines down every night this week.
- Oh, bloody hell.
- Gave you the schedules last week.
Well, can't it wait
until next weekend?
If you don't mind the
place going up in smoke.
- Well, what about the McKenna L3 order?
- YP.
- What?
- Your problem.
Why didn't you mention this
while we were discussing it.
I've been trying to.
- What can we do, Ron?
- Well--
Not take the order.
We'll have to put number
4 onto the McKenna order.
That will mean working
this weekend on the B19.
We may have to ask Ashcroft for
a few hours grace on Monday.
Right.
OK.
All right, that's the plan then.
New pay scales, next.
Team leaders pay.
Ron, could you get Ann, please?
Now then, 2, 3, and 4 on the L3s.
I'll call Ashcroft--
Why don't we offer McKenna the L5s?
Because they don't want them.
Ah, item four, team leader's pay.
Ann, sorry to keep you waiting.
Well, we're going to need some more of
those miracles of yours this weekend.
So before we deal with the pay problem,
can you cope with weekend working?
Well, no.
Not really.
- With some difficulty, I'd say.
- What?
Are you telling me you've forgotten?
Remind me.
Well, I'm not sure those team leaders
will agree to working weekends.
We've just take their overtime
off them, and at the moment,
they're not very happy about
anything, let alone working Saturdays.
Of course, if the new pay scale's--
- Right, right. OK.
Well, we'll talk about
team leaders pay first.
Then if we get that sorted out, we
can deal with working this weekend,
now that we know about
the overhaul schedule.
And then we can go right
back to item 2 and see--
Whether to take the
McKenna order, or not.
Well, I know what
you're going to say,
but the parking spaces
have got to be done.
Very well, put it first
because it's urgent.
But polish it off in five
minutes because it's unimportant.
You can even put five minutes
against it on the agenda.
Culpable failure
of time planning,
but the failure of order
planning was even worse.
Well, how was I to know about
the shift work argument?
How was I supposed to know
about the maintenance problem?
How were you supposed
to have decided
whether to accept an
order before establishing
that you had the staff and
the equipment to fulfill it?
I mean, imagine the
clerk of the court
planning the sequence
of events like that.
This is indeed a very
straightforward case, My Lord.
So I'll now ask the
clerk of the court
to read the depositions
taken from the witnesses
at the magistrate's court.
If it please My Lord, I,
Edward Lynn, newsagent,
44 the High Street,
Croyden, do declare
that I saw the red
van driving away
from the scene of the accident.
The driver seemed rather--
What accident?
Ah.
Always been a good son to me.
No.
Ah, this is it, My Lord.
I, George Percy Thomas
of 16 the [INAUDIBLE],
do declare that I saw the
second collision clearly,
as I had turned around
immediately after-- oh.
What is that?
The weather conditions
during the month of May,
during which the accident
occurred, My Lord.
Fascinating.
Fascinating.
Who saw the first accident?
Ah.
This man, My Lord.
Harry sang out of the sideboard.
- What?
- No, no.
A lorry swung out
of the side road.
Sorry, My Lord. We didn't have
time to get this one typed.
- Why didn't you?
- Ohh, this took ages, My Lord, ages.
Look for logical connections
between different items
and arrange them in
the necessary order.
Allocate time so that
the most important items
get the fullest discussion,
even if they're not urgent.
Well, that's the agenda.
- Can I wake up now?
- Certainly not.
Your worst crimes
are still to come.
I'm supposed to be
getting some rest.
Fourth charge, not being in
full control of your discussion.
When?
Well, let's just take
last Monday, shall we?
So you'll deal with that?
- OK.
- OK. Now item four, discipline.
I don't think there
are too many problems,
but I've got to review
the discipline procedure
[INAUDIBLE] this week.
So, what does anyone think?
Well, they're still nicking knives
and forks from the canteen.
- I thought that had stopped.
- Oh yeah, it stopped.
For about 10 minutes.
- Well, you expect a bit of that.
- How much of it is going on?
- Well, enough.
My problem is that people are still
getting sick on Friday and Mondays.
Now what your lads need,
Ron, is a bit of discipline.
It depends on what you
mean by discipline.
I'll tell you what I
mean by discipline,
nailing a few of them
to the front gates.
That's what I'm--
- Oh, shut up, Marcus.
What I'm getting at is there won't be
any solutions to the sort of things
we're talking about until we
get people more committed.
But how?
Because if we want solutions,
we should start with working
relationships, team work.
- What's stopping it?
- Well, here's one problem.
I mean, we change all our foremen into
some new being called a team leader.
We take away their
overtime, and then
ask them to work all weekend.
I mean, what kind of
world are we living in?
I'll tell you what
the bloody problem is,
we still can't control them.
Mine are all right.
I scratch their backs,
they scratch mine.
I see.
So is it the training?
No, no. It's much more a question
of working more closely with them.
We should consult them more.
Involve them.
Are you mad? This is a business,
not a school debating society.
Though sometimes, I must admit,
I think that's what it is.
They're not interested, Daisy.
I'm mean, my lot are OK,
but they won't even read
a safety notice until
you're up their nose in one.
I'll tell you what
the problem is.
They're all bone, bloody idle.
We ought to sack a few of them.
- Yes, and get another Jones case.
- Oh yes, amazing, wasn't it.
I mean, everybody knew
what he was up to.
Would you call
that a discussion?
- Well, we were sort of--
- That wasn't a discussion.
It was group therapy.
A discussion's got structure,
just as we have in this court.
First, you state
the proposition.
Next, you produce the evidence.
Then you have the arguments
about what the evidence proves.
Then you come to a
conclusion, a verdict.
And then, only
then, can you decide
on the action, the census.
Otherwise--
I now declare the case
open, and hereby sentence
the accused to three months.
So now we'll have some
evidence, but only a bit.
And then I shall ask you, ladies
and gentlemen of the jury,
to reach your verdict.
Then we'll hear what counsel
for the defense has to say.
But I shall interrupt,
demand some more evidence,
change my sentence,
and then sum up.
Then after coffee, we'll
have a bit more evidence,
and then we'll see if the
verdict is still right.
Then we'll give the
prosecution a run,
and after that, we'll
have a great big raffle
and the winner can
read the charge.
Structure the
discussion in stages
so that all the evidence comes
before the interpretation
of the evidence, and
all the interpretation
before deciding on the action.
Keep the stages separate.
That will stop people jumping on
and going back over old ground.
Yes, well I do
that bit sometimes.
What about last Wednesday?
It was all right at the start.
It's not just inflation, because
universal international costs
haven't gone up as much as ours.
I think we should
change our suppliers.
Hang on a moment.
We're still trying
to establish reasons.
How do we know that our suppliers
are costing us too much?
Well, pretty sure.
No, no, no.
They supply UI as well, Ian.
You see? So that can't
be the reason, right?
So we're still trying to get at the
reasons behind our cost problem.
Howard, one meeting
at a time, please.
Now we're still trying to get at
the reasons behind our cost problem.
Daisy? You see?
I did that OK, didn't I?
Yes, full marks.
But you lost them all
two minutes later.
What do you mean?
Fifth charge, failure to summarize
and record the discussion.
OK.
Last item.
Ian, can you bring us up to date on
progress on the team leaders pay review?
Well, I can't take it
any further, really.
Not until the review
committee meets and decides
about the regrading
proposals, now.
When are they going
to meet then, Daisy?
Well, George was going to
arrange that, wasn't he?
Because he wanted to be
there to put his case.
I thought you were going
to fix the meeting.
- Ron usually does that.
- Usually, yes.
But as George wanted to be in
on, we said we'd leave it to him.
That's why I thought
George would know.
But George isn't here.
Well, he must have
been here, then.
- I thought it was you, Ron.
- George.
Shall we take a vote on it?
Surely we decided that Ian would
coordinate with George and Ron.
We decided to take
the necessary action.
Which meant that Ron would make
sure the committee consulted George.
Not in this case.
It was George's job.
- Next item.
- What?
To discuss and decide
exactly what it was
that we did discuss and
decide at the last meeting.
- Well, before we decide that--
- Yes?
Oughtn't George to be here?
Well, I thought everybody
knew what had been decided.
Supposing we did that?
You've been found guilty,
but before I pass sentence,
I must ask the court if you
have any previous convictions?
Well, I'm not absolutely sure.
But I've got a hunch we did him
about five years ago for forgery.
Or it could have been arson.
But he thinks he was taller.
- No, it wasn't arson.
- It was him.
I'd swear by that.
And it was forgery.
And I reckon he got off.
- No, never.
Didn't anyone write down
what the judge said?
- No, My Lord. No.
- Why not?
Well, we all thought we
knew what had been decided.
Ohh.
So finally,
summarize and record.
Do you think you've got it now?
I think so.
Is it safe to let you wake up?
I do have the public
to think of, you know.
I'll tell you what.
If you can summarize this
dream, I might be lenient.
Thank you, My Lord.
Right.
Ladies and gentleman, let us
record our five stage plan
for shorter and more
productive meetings.
Stage 1, plan.
Be clear about the precise
objectives of the meeting.
Be clear why you
need the meeting.
And list the topics.
Stage 2, inform.
Make sure everyone knows exactly
what is being discussed, why,
and what you want
from the discussion.
Anticipate what people and
information may be needed,
and make sure they're there.
Stage 3, prepare.
Prepare the logical
sequence of items.
Prepare the time
allocation to each item
on the basis of its
importance, not its urgency.
Stage 4, structure and control.
Take the evidence stage before
the interpretation stage,
and that before
the action stage.
And stop people jumping ahead
or going back over old ground.
Stage 5, summarize all decisions
and record them straight away
with the name of the person
responsible for any action.
May I wake up now?
How do you feel,
guilty or not guilty?
Oh, guilty.
In that case, you may wake up.
However, if you have
not learned your lesson,
if you continue to waste
other people's time,
you will find yourself
doing some of your own.
[ALARM CLOCK]
Mmm.
Ugh.
Bloody meeting.
- Anything wrong?
- Nothing dear. No.
I think I'll just do a little thinking
about that meeting I've got this morning.
Huh.
It's a phrase that makes
most people's heart sink.
It echoes with
boredom, frustration,
and a general waste
of valuable time.
And yet, we all know you
can't manage without meetings.
A team isn't a team unless
we all get together
to worry away at problems
and come to decisions.
The answer, of course, is to
have efficient, effective,
and productive meetings.
But we all know that's
easier said than done.
A recent survey of 1,000
executives and managers
from top American
companies revealed
that they felt that 1/3 of the time
they spent at meetings was wasted.
And it's even more
serious than it sounds,
because the more senior you get,
the more meetings you go to--
17 hours of them a week for the
top executives in the survey.
And 80% of the 1,000 also
felt that running meetings
was a crucial test of
a manager's ability.
Meetings are management.
They're at the heart
of any quality program.
And any quality organization,
for that matter.
Good meetings set
everyone off with a sense
of purpose and a feeling
they've got somewhere.
Bad meetings leave them demotivated,
irritated, and alienated.
If you think about
it, a meeting is often
the only time the whole
management team comes together.
It's the only place
where the leader
is seen as a leader, rather than the
official individuals report to.
If they feel their
time has been wasted,
they lose respect not
just for the leader,
but also for the
wider organization
that put that leader in place.
And now for the really
depressing finding.
People who run meetings badly
don't improve with experience.
Even worse, people who attend their
meetings pick up their bad habits.
Many of them genuinely don't
realize they're making a mess of it.
They aren't even aware that running
meetings is a teachable, learnable skill.
But of course, it's not a gift.
It's a technique.
In fact, a technique
with five key elements.
These five elements supply the
framework of the Video Arts
Training Video, Meetings,
Bloody Meetings.
It's the most popular
video we've ever made,
and probably the most widely
used training video of all time.
And that means that
quite a lot of people
do realize that running meetings
is the central management
skill, and that it
has to be learned.
And the fact that
you're about to watch it
suggests that you
share that realization.
So I hope you enjoy it.
John Cleese and Robert Hardy
in Meetings, Bloody Meetings.
What time do you want
the clock for, dear?
Oh, quarter to six,
please, darling.
Quarter to six?
Mm, I've got a
pre-breakfast meeting.
Pre-breakfast meeting?
- Tim?
- Hmm?
Why can't you do your
work while you're at work?
There isn't time.
I have to go to meetings,
apologizing for being late
because I've been kept
at the previous meeting,
and leaving early while making
arrangements to meet again
in order to finish the meeting, so
that I can get to the next meeting.
This goes on until leave work when
I can, at long last, start work.
Done nearly four hours tonight.
Do you think it would make things easier
if I came and slept at the office?
Why don't you come and
sleep at the meeting?
Everyone else does.
In fact, if it wasn't for
the rest we got at meetings,
we'd never be able
to work this late.
This isn't work, is it?
Hm?
You are hereby summoned to appear in
that you did exceed the speed limit.
Well, I was late for the
meeting at the factory
because the meeting at the
office went on and on and on.
Insulting behavior?
Well, I didn't realize
that the motorcyclist
cutting in and waiving
was a policeman.
You waved back?
In a way, in a way.
Oh, Thursday afternoon.
You won't be late for
the Thomas's, will you?
No, no, no.
It won't take long.
It's a court case.
It's not a meeting.
They're all the same,
really, aren't they?
What?
A lot of people
in a room, trying
to establish what
happened and why,
and deciding what
to do about it.
Nothing like each other at all.
At court, you have
rules, procedures.
It's all organized.
Meeting, you just meet.
Timothy James
Brown Smith, you're
charged with chairing without
due thought and preparation,
failing to signal your
intentions to the meeting,
negligent ordering
of the agenda,
not being in full control
of your discussion,
and failing to record decisions
of the meeting. How do you plead?
I, I think I'm supposed
to be in a meeting.
- But this is a dream.
- Yes.
Well, you can't have a meeting
now, you're in bed, asleep.
But supposing I got a
meeting in this dream?
It won't matter if you
don't turn up, will it?
Anyway, these are
very serious charges.
If proven, they amount to
cold blooded time-wasting
and conspiracy to obstruct the
course of good decision making.
Why pick on me? My meetings are
no worse than anyone else's.
You don't establish your own innocence
by proving the guilt of others.
First charge, chairing without
due thought and preparation.
You haven't got any evidence.
Will you kindly cast your
mind back to six minutes
past 10 on the morning of
April the 7th this year?
Your weekly production meeting?
Oh, Christ.
What's keeping him?
Sorry I'm late.
The meeting for bloody planning
went on and on, as usual.
Wasting time.
Well, nice to see you all again.
Tim, how long is it going
to take this morning, then?
Well, it depends what we've
got to discuss, really.
Do you mind taking the
things you need me for first?
I should be on the floor.
Yes, I should think so.
Well, nice to see you
all again, as I said.
Gosh, is it really
a week since we met?
It seems like yesterday.
It was yesterday.
What?
Well, we had to make a decision
about the quality program.
Oh.
What a fool.
So you did.
Well, Howard?
- Sorry, have we started?
- Yes. Right.
Well, nice to see you
all again, as I say.
What are we talking
about this morning?
Well, we better talk
about that first.
[INAUDIBLE] agenda,
item one, the agenda.
Now Ian has got to go
pretty sharpish, as I say.
Look, what have you got?
I'd like to talk about
the night shift stand by.
Ah, yes.
And I had a word with
Frank about that,
and he thinks that two
will be enough until we
get ahold of the new B265s.
- What about the weekend?
- Well, see what you think about this.
Yes, this is nice. Not sure
about the allocation there,
but he will let
me know next week.
So, what else we got?
Well, I always think it's very
useful to get together like this.
You know, just to see if--
Is there any point in
having got together?
- What?
- It's good.
Great.
Thanks.
Oh, Tim.
I saw Hawkins on Friday.
Oh, that was it.
What did he say?
Well, he thinks we'll probably be
all right until the last quarter.
But he did point out that that new
cooling system has got problems.
Well, I've taken care
of that, you see.
There wasn't any problem
in the cooling system.
They were using
the wrong coolant.
Haven't read the instruction
manual, as usual.
So they were using
the type grade A,
but this new one takes double
X. So the whole system--
replaced the bearings,
and there's no damage,
and everybody seems to know
about the double X now.
So we shouldn't have
any more trouble there.
Good.
Right.
Well, what else does
anyone want to talk about?
Nothing for me.
- Nope. - No.
- No.
[BEEPING]
Good.
Right.
Well, there wasn't anything
anyone wanted to talk about.
- Including yourself?
- Yes.
Well then, why have the meeting?
It's the weekly meeting.
You mean, it's like
climbing Everest?
You do it because it's there.
Look, normally there's
plenty to talk about, OK?
- Well, there wasn't that time.
- No.
- Why didn't you cancel it?
- Cancel it?
Well, I mean, I don't know
what they want to talk about
until they get there, do I?
Not if you don't find
out beforehand, no.
Not if you chair without due
thought and preparation, no.
I mean, really.
Suppose I conducted
my court like that?
Prisoner at the bar,
you stand charged
with, he doesn't appear to be
charged with anything, My Lord.
Who made out this indictment?
- I did, My Lord.
- But it's blank.
Well, I thought that would give
everyone a chance to contribute.
You know, let the feeling of the
meeting-- ah, the court emerge.
You know, play it by ear.
I think you'd better tell
us what the charge is.
Well, I haven't given it that much
thought, quite honestly, My Lord.
Things have been a bit hectic
down the station this week.
I thought we could sort of work
something out when we all got together.
You see, you're a menace.
Abso-bloody-lutely hopeless.
You're not supposed to
talk to me like that.
Don't blame me.
It's your dream.
Disgraceful, a total
waste of everybody's time.
Well, not a total waste.
I mean, we sorted out that stuff
about Hawkin and the cooling system.
And Daisy was able to clear up
the standby thing with Jackie.
We got something done.
But those things could have
been done over the telephone
or in each other's offices.
You didn't need a
meeting for them.
I mean, to ask you the question
that you should have asked yourself,
what was the meeting
intended to achieve?
Well, it was the weekly meet--
And what would have been the
consequence of your not holding it?
So, conducting a meeting means,
stage one, preparing yourself
so that you are absolutely
clear what the meeting is for.
And then stage two, making sure that
everybody else is quite clear as well.
Yes, I know what you mean.
Yes, you're talking
about an agenda.
Yes, well I do those sometimes.
Like a fortnight ago?
Yes, I was coming to that.
Second charge, failure to signal
your intentions to the meeting.
The morning of June the
12th, 10:00 AM, precisely.
Right, everybody have an agenda?
Good.
Now, item one, improving
company communications.
I think we all understand
the problem. Ron?
It's a problem, all right. And it'll
cost a lot of money to solve it.
- Yes, you mean staff costs.
- No, not staff, equipment.
Surely it's management
time at the root of it?
No, equipment.
At least six more BDUs.
What?
Well look, if you want
Sales and Accounts
to have direct access
to data, then you must--
I'm sorry, Ron.
I mean, look, we may be able to deal
with this later on if we've got time.
But can we take item one now?
I am taking item one now,
improving company communications.
No, no, no, Ron. It's not the
computer, it's the telephones.
What?
Look, every time we try to get
through down there, they're engaged.
- What? - No, it isn't.
- What?
Well, I'm talking
about how we explain
this year's company results
to the team leaders.
What?
The company results?
I thought you wanted
a new switchboard.
I mean, you know the hold ups
we've been having down there.
Look, I'm talking about
company communications.
So am I.
So am I. I mean, how
can we communicate
if the phones are always busy?
Look, the whole point
of this is to get ideas
on how to explain this year's company
results to the team leaders.
Well, why didn't you say so?
Well, hasn't anyone
done any thinking on it?
- I spent two hours yesterday.
- Ah.
Designing a new layout on
the DTP for the newsletter.
That was your first misdemeanor,
and then hardly 20 minutes later--
I know, I know.
So item six, expenditure on maintenance
on the B11265s and the B219s.
- Ron?
- Well, I've been through all this.
And I can't see where
we can cut back.
I agree. I feel very strongly that we'd
be taking quite unacceptable risks.
- What?
- Look, Tim.
The 126s are over four years old.
Now they need checking--
Hang on.
Hang on.
I'm sorry. I think we should be
spending more on maintenance.
- So do I.
- So do I.
What?
I was talking about
this a few weeks ago.
- When?
- Spend more money?
Well, now that we've postponed
the equipment program.
- Oh.
- Right.
- What extra maintenance will they need?
- What will it cost?
Well, I can't tell you
off the top of my head.
Look, the point of
putting this on the--
Well then, let's think.
Well, we better take
this on Friday, too.
Means I'll have to come in.
Damn.
Ian, will you please have
some figures then? Last item.
- [INAUDIBLE], 10 to 15,000?
- 10% to 15%.
Oh, thanks for telling me.
Now, number seven,
the Sterling contract.
Jackie, how many machine hours?
Well, Fred's kept
me waiting for these
because he's got a problem
with machine allocation.
- He's not sure if we're going to--
- You mean you haven't got them?
Well, I have them
tomorrow evening, latest.
I need a decision on this today.
- Today?
- Yes, look.
It says Sterling Contract,
estimates and terms.
I mean, isn't that clear?
I thought we were
just reviewing it.
Anyway, we can't decide
anything without George, can we?
Why not?
Well, he's got to agree the delivery
dates. That affects the pricing.
Well, we better take
this Friday, too.
We should have just come Friday.
Friday, there goes Friday.
Well, at least we can decide
on some of the figures, can we?
- Yes, why not?
- Get something done.
- Will George be here on Friday?
- Yes, yes, he will be, yes.
Well, we can decide
the materials budget.
Yes, we can.
Yes, what were the corresponding
figures on the Ashcroft deal?
Have you got them?
You know, I think it's probably better if
we take it all in one go on Friday. Yeah?
I'm going to keep mine.
I'm going to frame it.
Well, at least I had an agenda.
- No, you did not.
- What?
Here, this is just headings jotted
down to remind you of the topics.
An agenda's not just a
chairman's crib card, you know.
It's a brief for all
the others to work from.
It's got to define the direction
and the area of the discussion,
and its end purpose.
I mean, imagine that sort
of thing in my court.
Call the first
witness, James Dugdale.
- You are James Dugdale?
- I am.
Uh, My Lord, this
is James Dugdale.
James Dugdale, My Lord.
My Lord, James Dugdale.
Well?
Well, that's all it says, My Lord,
first witness, James Dugdale.
Who or what is Mr. Dugdale?
- I am an expert.
- He is an expert, My Lord.
Precisely what
kind of an expert?
I'm an expert on
Renaissance art.
- On Renaissance art, My Lord.
- Why have you called him?
Well, he is an expert, after
all, My Lord, on Renaissance art.
[INAUDIBLE]
He's here to testify
about the painting.
It's a fake.
The painting is a fake.
- Oh?
- Did he sell it?
Definitely not, My Lord.
Right. We know exactly what
Mr. Dugdale is, why he's here,
and what we expect
to get out of him.
Now then, where is the painting?
Well, where is the defendant?
How about this
Friday? [INAUDIBLE]?
Anybody not do this Friday?
So, make it clear
to everybody what
is being discussed, why
it's being discussed,
and what you hope to
achieve from the discussion.
And anticipate the people and
the information that you need,
and make sure you've got it.
Well, look, I do all
those things sometimes.
If you could you use
that excuse again,
I shall have you hanged, twice.
- Twice?
- Don't argue.
And anyway, even when you do
get all those things right,
you still make mistakes
with your agenda.
Like what?
Third charge, negligent
ordering of agenda
and criminal
misallocation of time.
What do you mean?
Perhaps this will
refresh your memory.
September the 20th, last
year, 3:25 in the afternoon.
Right.
That's item one decided.
Allocation of parking
spaces at the new park.
Six spaces for marketing
and PR, four each
for production management
and factory management,
and eight for administration.
For review after three months?
Yes, yes, right.
Now, take 45 minutes?
Right. Item two, for
decision, McKenna Brothers.
Order for 250 L3s for
delivery, 31st October.
Do we accept the order, or is
October the 31st too tight?
- The L3s are practically obsolete.
- Marcus, they're not obsolete.
Well, we oughtn't
to be selling them.
The L5s are more durable.
They're easier to handle.
Look, I want to take
this order if we can. OK?
It's McKenna, so if we can do this
one, they may come back to us. Rod?
Well, I think we're
making a mistake.
Look, I'm sorry.
It's 10 to now, all right?
Yes, well, if we hadn't wasted 45
minutes discussing the bloody parking.
That was urgent.
The park opens on Monday.
Rod, how can we do
this McKenna job?
Well, we'll have to do
the L3s on number two
and three machines,
tomorrow and Thursday.
Oh, well now, just a moment.
Ian, one thing at
a time, please.
So that will mean completing the
Ashcroft B19 over the weekend.
- The weekend, right.
- Will that give you a problem?
No, no, no. That's fine.
OK, that's it.
Now item number three,
for information.
Forward maintenance schedule.
What's this about, Ian?
- Oh, it's nice to get a word then.
- Do you want to chair the meeting?
No, not now.
I just want to remind you that we'll have
two machines down every night this week.
- Oh, bloody hell.
- Gave you the schedules last week.
Well, can't it wait
until next weekend?
If you don't mind the
place going up in smoke.
- Well, what about the McKenna L3 order?
- YP.
- What?
- Your problem.
Why didn't you mention this
while we were discussing it.
I've been trying to.
- What can we do, Ron?
- Well--
Not take the order.
We'll have to put number
4 onto the McKenna order.
That will mean working
this weekend on the B19.
We may have to ask Ashcroft for
a few hours grace on Monday.
Right.
OK.
All right, that's the plan then.
New pay scales, next.
Team leaders pay.
Ron, could you get Ann, please?
Now then, 2, 3, and 4 on the L3s.
I'll call Ashcroft--
Why don't we offer McKenna the L5s?
Because they don't want them.
Ah, item four, team leader's pay.
Ann, sorry to keep you waiting.
Well, we're going to need some more of
those miracles of yours this weekend.
So before we deal with the pay problem,
can you cope with weekend working?
Well, no.
Not really.
- With some difficulty, I'd say.
- What?
Are you telling me you've forgotten?
Remind me.
Well, I'm not sure those team leaders
will agree to working weekends.
We've just take their overtime
off them, and at the moment,
they're not very happy about
anything, let alone working Saturdays.
Of course, if the new pay scale's--
- Right, right. OK.
Well, we'll talk about
team leaders pay first.
Then if we get that sorted out, we
can deal with working this weekend,
now that we know about
the overhaul schedule.
And then we can go right
back to item 2 and see--
Whether to take the
McKenna order, or not.
Well, I know what
you're going to say,
but the parking spaces
have got to be done.
Very well, put it first
because it's urgent.
But polish it off in five
minutes because it's unimportant.
You can even put five minutes
against it on the agenda.
Culpable failure
of time planning,
but the failure of order
planning was even worse.
Well, how was I to know about
the shift work argument?
How was I supposed to know
about the maintenance problem?
How were you supposed
to have decided
whether to accept an
order before establishing
that you had the staff and
the equipment to fulfill it?
I mean, imagine the
clerk of the court
planning the sequence
of events like that.
This is indeed a very
straightforward case, My Lord.
So I'll now ask the
clerk of the court
to read the depositions
taken from the witnesses
at the magistrate's court.
If it please My Lord, I,
Edward Lynn, newsagent,
44 the High Street,
Croyden, do declare
that I saw the red
van driving away
from the scene of the accident.
The driver seemed rather--
What accident?
Ah.
Always been a good son to me.
No.
Ah, this is it, My Lord.
I, George Percy Thomas
of 16 the [INAUDIBLE],
do declare that I saw the
second collision clearly,
as I had turned around
immediately after-- oh.
What is that?
The weather conditions
during the month of May,
during which the accident
occurred, My Lord.
Fascinating.
Fascinating.
Who saw the first accident?
Ah.
This man, My Lord.
Harry sang out of the sideboard.
- What?
- No, no.
A lorry swung out
of the side road.
Sorry, My Lord. We didn't have
time to get this one typed.
- Why didn't you?
- Ohh, this took ages, My Lord, ages.
Look for logical connections
between different items
and arrange them in
the necessary order.
Allocate time so that
the most important items
get the fullest discussion,
even if they're not urgent.
Well, that's the agenda.
- Can I wake up now?
- Certainly not.
Your worst crimes
are still to come.
I'm supposed to be
getting some rest.
Fourth charge, not being in
full control of your discussion.
When?
Well, let's just take
last Monday, shall we?
So you'll deal with that?
- OK.
- OK. Now item four, discipline.
I don't think there
are too many problems,
but I've got to review
the discipline procedure
[INAUDIBLE] this week.
So, what does anyone think?
Well, they're still nicking knives
and forks from the canteen.
- I thought that had stopped.
- Oh yeah, it stopped.
For about 10 minutes.
- Well, you expect a bit of that.
- How much of it is going on?
- Well, enough.
My problem is that people are still
getting sick on Friday and Mondays.
Now what your lads need,
Ron, is a bit of discipline.
It depends on what you
mean by discipline.
I'll tell you what I
mean by discipline,
nailing a few of them
to the front gates.
That's what I'm--
- Oh, shut up, Marcus.
What I'm getting at is there won't be
any solutions to the sort of things
we're talking about until we
get people more committed.
But how?
Because if we want solutions,
we should start with working
relationships, team work.
- What's stopping it?
- Well, here's one problem.
I mean, we change all our foremen into
some new being called a team leader.
We take away their
overtime, and then
ask them to work all weekend.
I mean, what kind of
world are we living in?
I'll tell you what
the bloody problem is,
we still can't control them.
Mine are all right.
I scratch their backs,
they scratch mine.
I see.
So is it the training?
No, no. It's much more a question
of working more closely with them.
We should consult them more.
Involve them.
Are you mad? This is a business,
not a school debating society.
Though sometimes, I must admit,
I think that's what it is.
They're not interested, Daisy.
I'm mean, my lot are OK,
but they won't even read
a safety notice until
you're up their nose in one.
I'll tell you what
the problem is.
They're all bone, bloody idle.
We ought to sack a few of them.
- Yes, and get another Jones case.
- Oh yes, amazing, wasn't it.
I mean, everybody knew
what he was up to.
Would you call
that a discussion?
- Well, we were sort of--
- That wasn't a discussion.
It was group therapy.
A discussion's got structure,
just as we have in this court.
First, you state
the proposition.
Next, you produce the evidence.
Then you have the arguments
about what the evidence proves.
Then you come to a
conclusion, a verdict.
And then, only
then, can you decide
on the action, the census.
Otherwise--
I now declare the case
open, and hereby sentence
the accused to three months.
So now we'll have some
evidence, but only a bit.
And then I shall ask you, ladies
and gentlemen of the jury,
to reach your verdict.
Then we'll hear what counsel
for the defense has to say.
But I shall interrupt,
demand some more evidence,
change my sentence,
and then sum up.
Then after coffee, we'll
have a bit more evidence,
and then we'll see if the
verdict is still right.
Then we'll give the
prosecution a run,
and after that, we'll
have a great big raffle
and the winner can
read the charge.
Structure the
discussion in stages
so that all the evidence comes
before the interpretation
of the evidence, and
all the interpretation
before deciding on the action.
Keep the stages separate.
That will stop people jumping on
and going back over old ground.
Yes, well I do
that bit sometimes.
What about last Wednesday?
It was all right at the start.
It's not just inflation, because
universal international costs
haven't gone up as much as ours.
I think we should
change our suppliers.
Hang on a moment.
We're still trying
to establish reasons.
How do we know that our suppliers
are costing us too much?
Well, pretty sure.
No, no, no.
They supply UI as well, Ian.
You see? So that can't
be the reason, right?
So we're still trying to get at the
reasons behind our cost problem.
Howard, one meeting
at a time, please.
Now we're still trying to get at
the reasons behind our cost problem.
Daisy? You see?
I did that OK, didn't I?
Yes, full marks.
But you lost them all
two minutes later.
What do you mean?
Fifth charge, failure to summarize
and record the discussion.
OK.
Last item.
Ian, can you bring us up to date on
progress on the team leaders pay review?
Well, I can't take it
any further, really.
Not until the review
committee meets and decides
about the regrading
proposals, now.
When are they going
to meet then, Daisy?
Well, George was going to
arrange that, wasn't he?
Because he wanted to be
there to put his case.
I thought you were going
to fix the meeting.
- Ron usually does that.
- Usually, yes.
But as George wanted to be in
on, we said we'd leave it to him.
That's why I thought
George would know.
But George isn't here.
Well, he must have
been here, then.
- I thought it was you, Ron.
- George.
Shall we take a vote on it?
Surely we decided that Ian would
coordinate with George and Ron.
We decided to take
the necessary action.
Which meant that Ron would make
sure the committee consulted George.
Not in this case.
It was George's job.
- Next item.
- What?
To discuss and decide
exactly what it was
that we did discuss and
decide at the last meeting.
- Well, before we decide that--
- Yes?
Oughtn't George to be here?
Well, I thought everybody
knew what had been decided.
Supposing we did that?
You've been found guilty,
but before I pass sentence,
I must ask the court if you
have any previous convictions?
Well, I'm not absolutely sure.
But I've got a hunch we did him
about five years ago for forgery.
Or it could have been arson.
But he thinks he was taller.
- No, it wasn't arson.
- It was him.
I'd swear by that.
And it was forgery.
And I reckon he got off.
- No, never.
Didn't anyone write down
what the judge said?
- No, My Lord. No.
- Why not?
Well, we all thought we
knew what had been decided.
Ohh.
So finally,
summarize and record.
Do you think you've got it now?
I think so.
Is it safe to let you wake up?
I do have the public
to think of, you know.
I'll tell you what.
If you can summarize this
dream, I might be lenient.
Thank you, My Lord.
Right.
Ladies and gentleman, let us
record our five stage plan
for shorter and more
productive meetings.
Stage 1, plan.
Be clear about the precise
objectives of the meeting.
Be clear why you
need the meeting.
And list the topics.
Stage 2, inform.
Make sure everyone knows exactly
what is being discussed, why,
and what you want
from the discussion.
Anticipate what people and
information may be needed,
and make sure they're there.
Stage 3, prepare.
Prepare the logical
sequence of items.
Prepare the time
allocation to each item
on the basis of its
importance, not its urgency.
Stage 4, structure and control.
Take the evidence stage before
the interpretation stage,
and that before
the action stage.
And stop people jumping ahead
or going back over old ground.
Stage 5, summarize all decisions
and record them straight away
with the name of the person
responsible for any action.
May I wake up now?
How do you feel,
guilty or not guilty?
Oh, guilty.
In that case, you may wake up.
However, if you have
not learned your lesson,
if you continue to waste
other people's time,
you will find yourself
doing some of your own.
[ALARM CLOCK]
Mmm.
Ugh.
Bloody meeting.
- Anything wrong?
- Nothing dear. No.
I think I'll just do a little thinking
about that meeting I've got this morning.
Huh.