We are seated in a meeting being conducted in sessions that are scheduled to take place in intervals. Just before the meeting, attendants have got the time to catch up and familiarise with each other, a step that aids in ridding hostility off 'strangers' and which happens to be a common experience when people meet for the first time or when they get to interact in forums other than the work place or class room.
The sessions are fairly set apart and the breaks frequency considerable, however, human beings get bored quite often if the activity they are engaging in is not their creation or when it involves continuously sitting or even when it requires lengthy listening. It is interesting how easily people loose concentration and start scribbling on papers and available surfaces-making diagrams difficult to comprehend or that are hardly communicating, passing notes, whispering in others' ears (a sure sign of boredom) consequently causing interruption of thought for those who could be keenly following the person on stage or maybe forcing themselves to catch a point or two. The annoying lot will either stare blankly or practically place the heads on the table and go wild in their imagination; never mind the cause...though it could be a result of hunger, anger, disinterest-dare try bring them back to the present, it may turn out to be an ice breaker.
Every group of people has characters who each play a vital role in ensuring balance in the activities being conducted. There are the serious people, the joke crackers also known as ice breakers, there are the force-good-character or I want-to-appear-the-best-of-all people, the timers, the list can be endless depending on the type of people you meet. The serious people stick to the business of the day, joke crackers will throw in a joke or cause the rest to laugh by behaving cheeky amidst a serious issue happening therefore restoring a relaxed atmosphere-these are the type who will yawn loudly amidst silence in the room, I want-to-appear-the-best-of-all people do exactly that.
And now the timers.
Realise with the group listed a session can go for hours on end, consuming into other sessions' time and entirely disrupting the flow of events. What timers will do is ensure programmes run as planned, not that they have been appointed to do so but because it is in them and don't be good and want to tell them off. Actually we need them. When time for listening is out and it is question time, they will shout or whisper 'question time', when time for a whole event is out, they will be keen to pass word 'time up'. Notably, they start the alerts 5,4,3 minutes to time. When it's time to break for Lunch, they will scribble on paper cuttings 'lunch' or '12:54pm' and pass the cut outs round. As the cuttings go round, the speaker will accidentally note them and get the message. Some timers are bold enough to shout out-hunger, break, tired, and the like.
Truth is they play a necessary role. Those staring blankly and wondering when the session will end will be the first ones to sigh in relief once the timers manage to drive a point home. The scribblers get a chance to give their pen a break, the serious ones will simply be complying. Well, the world has a way of accommodating every character trait.
The sessions are fairly set apart and the breaks frequency considerable, however, human beings get bored quite often if the activity they are engaging in is not their creation or when it involves continuously sitting or even when it requires lengthy listening. It is interesting how easily people loose concentration and start scribbling on papers and available surfaces-making diagrams difficult to comprehend or that are hardly communicating, passing notes, whispering in others' ears (a sure sign of boredom) consequently causing interruption of thought for those who could be keenly following the person on stage or maybe forcing themselves to catch a point or two. The annoying lot will either stare blankly or practically place the heads on the table and go wild in their imagination; never mind the cause...though it could be a result of hunger, anger, disinterest-dare try bring them back to the present, it may turn out to be an ice breaker.
Every group of people has characters who each play a vital role in ensuring balance in the activities being conducted. There are the serious people, the joke crackers also known as ice breakers, there are the force-good-character or I want-to-appear-the-best-of-all people, the timers, the list can be endless depending on the type of people you meet. The serious people stick to the business of the day, joke crackers will throw in a joke or cause the rest to laugh by behaving cheeky amidst a serious issue happening therefore restoring a relaxed atmosphere-these are the type who will yawn loudly amidst silence in the room, I want-to-appear-the-best-of-all people do exactly that.
And now the timers.
Realise with the group listed a session can go for hours on end, consuming into other sessions' time and entirely disrupting the flow of events. What timers will do is ensure programmes run as planned, not that they have been appointed to do so but because it is in them and don't be good and want to tell them off. Actually we need them. When time for listening is out and it is question time, they will shout or whisper 'question time', when time for a whole event is out, they will be keen to pass word 'time up'. Notably, they start the alerts 5,4,3 minutes to time. When it's time to break for Lunch, they will scribble on paper cuttings 'lunch' or '12:54pm' and pass the cut outs round. As the cuttings go round, the speaker will accidentally note them and get the message. Some timers are bold enough to shout out-hunger, break, tired, and the like.
Truth is they play a necessary role. Those staring blankly and wondering when the session will end will be the first ones to sigh in relief once the timers manage to drive a point home. The scribblers get a chance to give their pen a break, the serious ones will simply be complying. Well, the world has a way of accommodating every character trait.
