What's your status?

Once a week we all have to complete a "status report", which basically details everything we worked on during the week. And also once a week, during our weekly team meeting, we each get a turn to give a verbal rendition of our status report to the whole team.

Enough hot air is generated from these meetings to create a Hurricane. Nobody wants to give an abridged report in front of The Boss, so we all wait our turn while our esteemed colleagues go into as much detail as possible. Every email and voice mail responded to during the week must be included. It takes real talent to turn "I got an email and I responded to it" into a 10 minute verbal essay. I often find myself in awe that so much could be said about so little. I just wish they'd stop talking in that stuper-inducing monotone!

Of course as soon as you let your mind wander someone will ask your opinion about some trivial matter, such as did you complete last week's action item?