A couple of days ago I Gumped my first conversation. It was a wonderfully liberating feeling and for the benefit of humanity and productivity I’m declaring today National Gump a Meeting Day. It will improve the nation’s meetings – if only for one day.
Here are the reasons for National Gump a Meeting Day
1. Too many meetings feature people reiterating previous points in the hope this makes them look smart or will somehow be treated as new
information
2. Too many meetings go on too long because of the above
3. Life is too short for that kind of shenanigans
Here is what you need to do
1. When someone asks you to expand on a point you have already made simply state ‘That’s all I have to say about that’
2. When someone starts repeating a point say ‘I think we’ve covered that point in enough depth already… And that’s all I have to say about that’
3. If someone starts speaking – and you know them well enough to realise it is like someone just selected the extended version of ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ at the office karaoke and the pain of their voice won’t stop for seemingly hours – simply gently interrupt them a couple of times to ask if they think anyone else would have something to say about that.
4. If you are feeling bold then feel free to state ‘Sorry, I think I really need to Gump this’. You are then allowed to explain what Gumping is. If someone asks you to explain again see point 1.
This is Gumping. If you want the world to be a better place then go Gump a meeting today.
And if you aren’t sure what will happen then simply remember that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.
But it will be chocolate and if you check the side of the box it normally has a key identifying what chocolate you will actually get. So it isn’t that mystifying really.
And I’m aware that sometimes the world would benefit from people Gumping me. This is an open invitation for people to do so.
101 Half Connected Things 
Morning DDS. I like it, a clever way to make a point. That is all to say about that.
Your suggestions on how to Gump a meeting are simple yet break commonly held customs and practices in that particular activity type and so may prove more challenging to do than read. That is all I have to say about that.
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Simple stuff is often quite hard. Tricky.
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I’m not a smart man. But I know what a good meeting is.
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I think gumping takes confidence and perhaps a little arrogance, but both characteristics of people who get things done. Today I’m going to try this at least once, and then go and hide…
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Arrogance? Interesting, although it might take humility to realise you have already spoken enough…
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Very true!
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Perhaps the Dalai Lama had a point when he said ” When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But when you listen, you may learn something new.:
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That’s wisdom worthy of Mr Gump himself
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Well, no one has ever seen them together in the same room …
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Love it!
And that’s all I have to say
D
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Daily meetings about meetings, where we plan the next meeting and I have the opportunity between yawns to think this is not good use of my time, has ironically prompted yet another meeting (under the cleverly disguised title of ‘training’) about how to managing effective meetings.
I suspected there would be something in your archives that would hit the nail on the head!
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I’m both upset and reconciled to your position. Stay strong.
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