What’s your meeting room buffer?

[Scam]

love these sorts of threads - op posts expecting everyone to applaud him for his actions but when they don't, instead of accepting they are in the wrong they'll spent an eternity replying with 'yea but'

Oh it's fine really. I've been here long enough to recognise a "holier than thou" bandwagon response forming. Everyone replying here like they've never ever been late to a meeting, or overran ever. It makes me chuckle

 

[Thekwango]

Oh it's fine really. I've been here long enough to recognise a "holier than thou" bandwagon response forming. Everyone replying here like they've never ever been late to a meeting, or overran ever. It makes me chuckle

no one is making the claim they've never ran over in a meeting. but you keep on 'yea butting'

 

[BeeP]

I'm going against the flow here, yes the op ran over and yes that is pretty rude but I wouldn't dream of barging into a meeting room I had booked for a 2 minute over run, tap on the glass and mouth "move it ****" usually works for me but I guess I'm just too polite for my own good.

Seriously though I can see why both parties would be annoyed but sometimes folk just need to chill a bit....unless you making him late by 2 mins lost the company a huge order.

I guess I'm lucky in a way that I've been with the same company most of my life, I kind of know everyone and most are OK, it's not the type of company where someone would die if a meeting ran over so it's not end of the world stuff although I do get why for some it can often feel like it is.

 

[Worthy]

See this is what happens. First they expect you to take only one lunch at a reasonable time to stop you going swimming at 3pm, and because you let them dominate you like that, now they think they can expect you to keep to the allocated time that you’ve booked meeting rooms for! Outrageous, I knew this would happen.

 

[robj20]

The OP has set out the scenario that meeting space is limited so, no, they can’t just meet somewhere else.

Course you can, I've done a meeting on my phone in the car before. Or at my desk with just voice.

 

[Pudney]

Oh it's fine really. I've been here long enough to recognise a "holier than thou" bandwagon response forming. Everyone replying here like they've never ever been late to a meeting, or overran ever. It makes me chuckle

You are in the wrong though.

At least we know we’re in the wrong when our meetings overrun!

 

[uber soldat]

My meeting room buffer is called Charlotte, she's a big girl...

 

[Nitefly]

If a meeting was overrunning and I was waiting, I’d probably ping whoever it was I due to meet and say ‘just waiting for the room to clear, soz to keep you waiting’ or whatever. It’s rarely a problem.

Barging in time would be about 3-5 minutes after I’ve let my presence known to the ‘room hogs’ (as I’d find it a bit rude if they were still there after that time).

I’d also immediately end the call if someone was knocking on the door and I was over time.

Ideally a bit of consideration + ‘flex and bend’ is needed from everyone, but occasionally other people don’t have the same approaches and there will be clashes. That’s life.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Why did you need a meeting room if it was just you? That is what headphones are for.

My company initiated a policy of scheduling meetings to end 5 minutes before the end of the block i.e. 25 past or 55 past. We don't do it as much but it does train staff into the idea that wrapping up happens about 5 minutes early but meetings START on time. External guests on the phone aren't privy to local delays faffing with the HDMI cable.

That said, my junior did today come and tap me on the shoulder and say they were all waiting for me. 5 minutes they waited while I was in my own world running some tests

 

[bazzabear]

I'm going against the flow here, yes the op ran over and yes that is pretty rude but I wouldn't dream of barging into a meeting room I had booked for a 2 minute over run, tap on the glass and mouth "move it ****" usually works for me but I guess I'm just too polite for my own good.

But from the waiting guys point of view he already did exactly that at 4pm. He got what might have looked like a dismissive hand gesture from the OP, and then OP just carried on with the meeting with - again, from the waiting persons point of view - no sign at all that he was doing anything to leave the room.

You've now reached a point where even if the OP starts leaving now, by the time you're set up and dialled in you're going to be 5+ minutes late, and he's still not leaving. We've established there are no alternative facilities available. Knocking on the window politely already achieved nothing at all. What are his options?

a) Stand there missing your meeting while this guy carries on for how long? 5 mins? 30 mins?
b) enter the room and say you really need the room and you have it booked.

 

[Lopéz]

If I book a meeting room I book it until :25 or :55 and I'm out before the hour. If I book a room from the hour I expect it to be available within 30 seconds or so of me opening the door and saying "I've got the room booked now, thanks"

 

[HangTime]

When I'm meeting with externals, if I'm the only person on our side then I'll typically use an unbookable booth or similar. If not available then yes you don't want to just hang up on people, but you just apologise at 16:01 or whatever and say you are getting kicked out. I have no issue with getting turfed out.

For really important sessions I'll usually book the room from a short while preceding the meeting start time so I can ensure I can claim ownership and get things setup, there's nothing worse than joining a meeting already late and then faffing about with tech for a minute whilst others are waiting on you.

What annoys me is when you have a meeting room booked for a confidential call and someone refuses to acknowledge that you have it booked saying they have some important call, you show the booking the on a digital device and they still won't budge, you then have the option of an awkward standoff that will delay you entering the meeting or you just have to hastily back down and find someone else to get started. It's like a corporate game of chicken where they just state with full confidence they have the room booked even if the evidence suggests otherwise. Thankfully only had that once or twice and my current employer has digital devices on the doors that show the bookings which is helpful.