Uncomfortable Silence Man

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

I have a couple of meetings a week with Man Who Can't Finish A Meeting. 

He is subtly different from Man Who Can't Finish A Sentence. Man Who Can't Finish A Meeting can finish a sentence. It's just that, at the end of a meeting, he can't bring himself to close it.

There's a lot of reiteration. A lot. Sometimes he'll reiterate the reiteration. Like this:

MWCFAM: So we're doing well, ticking along nicely. But timescales are very tight. So have a great week everyone. But we must continue to focus on the critical path. Because even though we're doing well, it's very tight for time so we can't afford any slippage. So. Thanks everyone...

(Everyone starts reaching for the "Leave Meeting" button...)

MWCFAM: It's a bit tight, but I'm sure if we keep on focussing on the key tasks we'll hit the key milestones. Make sure we stick to the tasks on the critical path and we should be able to hit the key dates. So have a great evening everyone.

(Everyone reaches for the "Leave Meeting" button again...)

MWCFAM: I'll send out the minutes after the meeting, highlighting the critical path tasks, so if we can just focus on those...

(Everyone reaches for the "Fer Fuxake" button).

It's not easy when it's a Zoom meeting with the whole team, but I also have a solo catch-up with MWCFAM every week. And in those I have more control. I am learning to cultivate the uncomfortable silence because I have learned anything I may say can kick him off again. 

MWCFAM: Good, good. Sounds like you're making good progress...
ME: (uncomfortable silence)
MWCFAM: Excellent. Excellent. 
ME: (uncomfortable silence)
MWCFAM: Well. Great. Then. Have a great weekend.
ME: You too!
MWCFAM: Yes, the sun's really come out hasn't it? Looks like it make be a really great weekend. I'm thinking of taking the ferry over to the South Island...
ME: (Thinking: SH*T! SH*T! SH*T!)

So he's a work in progress. But I will get there. Let me practice on you all now.

UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE

S.