In keeping with our on-going discussions here on the Home Business blog celebrating the pluses and joys of operating a home business, I thought I would share one of my very FAVORITE things about working from home as opposed to working in a traditional office job and setting–I definitely don’t miss all those meetings! Having spent many years working in and for nonprofit organizations, I’ve spent more time sitting in staff, committee and board meetings than I even care to remember.
I love that I can make decisions in my little home business without having to call a meeting, set an agenda and provide for unlimited discussion where everyone and anyone weighs in with their opinions and concerns. I also love that when I’m feeling really productive and efficient, I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to go to a meeting (deal with the kids and answer the door, maybe). It’s not that meetings are totally eliminated from my world, but they are significantly diminished–enough that I can really count my blessings at having WAY fewer meetings to contend with.
My problem with meetings is that they are seldom an effective way to disseminate information and make decisions–often those who actually can make a decision are not in attendance and it takes more time to design an agenda, hold a meeting, prepare and send out minutes or notes from that meeting than the work actually accomplished justifies. Of course, I’m entirely biased and burned out from so many years of daily, weekly, and monthly meetings. So, I’m happy to report that one of my very favorite things about working from home as a freelancer and consultant is that I have so many fewer meetings to gobble up my time and take away from the work I truly love to do!