Does anyone ever walk into a meeting fired up with enthusiasm? Or do they groan in anticipation of the politicking, the bureaucracy and the office bore taking up what little oxygen remains in the room? And, in any case, all the decisions have probably already been taken, haven't they? Meetings are emotive, perhaps because executives have unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved. People tend to think meetings are for making decisions when they are not, in fact, very good for that. Groups often meet to make decisions but they're doing so for political reasons. So when people are called to a meeting (ostensibly to make a decision) and show up to discover the decision has already been made, they feel used. The formal nature of most meetings also means they are seen as mandatory. If three people meet in a corridor and discuss a project for five minutes, they have had a meeting, and probably an effective one. But most meetings are seen as immovable blocks in diaries. Moreover, they are often scheduled to take place at regular intervals and to last for a set time--neither of which may be necessary.