Marco could not stand the endless meetings anymore. His team debated every little issue for hours and hours. He needed decision-makers—not debate champions.
As Marco’s team mulled over the Spring off-site meeting plans, he finally lost it. “Team, we’re going to play a game. The first idea wins.” Marco looked around the room. “What should we have for breakfast?”
After a few seconds of silence, Suzie whispered, “Bagels.”
“Excellent, Suzie. Great job making a decision! Now, what should the theme be for the off-site meeting?”
There was another silence, and then Marco’s second in command, Ian, spoke up, “Team Building.”
Marco liked the effort—simple and effective. ‘Team Building’ was much more concise than last year’s slogan: “Bridging the Gap Between where we are Individually and where we want to go Together’.
“Who should we get as a guest speaker?” Marco asked. He gathered his stuff and moved to leave the meeting.
“The corporate magician,” Lisa said.
“Who?”
“He’s a magician for corporate events.”
“Sure,” Marco said at the door. “The first idea wins. Okay, I will let you sort the rest out as a group.”
“But how?” Ian asked.
“The first idea wins,” Marco said with a smile.
Marco knew he had made a mistake a week later as his boss walked into the spring off-site meeting.
“When the invitation said the zoo, I was skeptical,” Marco’s boss told him. “I didn’t expect to spend the day in the Elephant House.”
“Wait until you see the magician,” Marco said.
Not sure if Marco was joking, his boss asked, “What happened?”
“Well, sir. I developed a new strategy for my team so we can be more efficient,” Marco said, trying to save face. “The first idea wins.”
Marco’s boss put his arms out as if he was showing off the venue and said, “Not this time.”