PRIYA PARKER: POINTLESS MEETINGS WASTE TIME & MONEY • DAY-BY-DAY AT THE PRPD CONFERENCE
Priya Parker, the keynote speaker at the upcoming PRPD Conference, said in an opinion essay published August 20th in The New York Times, companies and organizations need to examine why, when, where and how meetings happen. Parker said pointless meetings aren’t a new problem:
“Meetings were broken even before the pandemic. A 2019 report by Doodle, an online scheduling service, estimated that pointless meetings cost companies more than half a trillion dollars per year — in addition to the intangible costs to the spirit.”
Parker believes the disruption caused by the pandemic has forced organizations to try new ways to conduct meetings. She believes it is important for organizations to experiment because often meetings are a disconnection between people in charge and staff members, particularly concerning working from home:
Asking employees if they want to “return to the office” is asking the wrong question. Instead, managers should ask: What did you long for when we couldn’t physically meet? What did you not miss and are ready to discard? What forms of meeting did you invent during the pandemic out of necessity that, surprisingly, worked? What might we experiment with now?
You read Parker’s essay at this link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/opinion/meetings-remote-work-covid.html
Priya Parker is the author of “The Art of Gathering” and the host of the New York Times podcast “Together Apart.” Her keynote speech at the PRPD Conference is Monday, September 13th at 11:30am ET.
To register for the 2021 PRPD Conference, or get more information, go to: https://registration.socio.events/e/prpdredefiningpublicmedia
KEN SAYS: Parker’s essay brought to mind my own meetings experiences that youmay share. A few years ago, I worked at a major public media organization where pointless meetings were a way of life.
The organization had all employees fill out a form to record our work in 15-minute segments for two consecutive weeks. I learned that over 60% of my work day was spent in meetings. My attendance was often “ceremonial” because the topics being discussed were not relevant for my work.
REALITY CHECK: I want to apologize to my subscribers and readers for a post I mistakenly made last week. It was far below my own standards.
Due to my vision disability, and my lack of attention, I thought I was in “private” mode. But, actually I was in “public” mode. I will be writing more about coping with low vision in future posts.
2021 PRPD CONFERENCE DAY-BY DAY
On Monday, September 13th, the Conference opens with Priya Parker’s keynote. Then, at 1:00pm ET, attendees can from two breakout sessions. At one session attendees can her folks from The Moth and The Current discuss Events in a Virtual World.
The other session, moderated by CPB’s Kathy Merritt, explores ways three organizations are building a more diverse and more inclusive workplace.
At 2:5pm ET there two breakout sessions. Tom Mara and Kevin Cole for KEXP are joined by Steve Williams from WBGO and Bill Johnson from WRTI, to discuss how organizations can enhance there brands and signals the value of their work.
Please check out our story from June that provides a comprehensive look at KEXP at: https://americancommunityradio.medium.com/kexp-is-perfecting-the-connection-between-people-music-that-matters-23470fa29f01
Also at 2:15pm ET, Judith Smelser and other panelists, examine how podcasts are becoming useful vehicles for reporting local news.
At 3:30pm ET, the PRPD Conference presents new research about America’s changing demographics and the implications for public media now and in the future. This discussion will be about public radio’s increasingly diverse audiences. The goal of the session is to lay the groundwork for initiatives and action to reach and serve new audiences.
The first day of the Conference wraps up Monday activities at 5:00pm ET when APM’s Trivia Mafia offers a trivia contest with enjoyable and challenging questions about all kinds of radio oriented topics. There will be prizes for the winners.
Tuesday, September 14th starts with a Keynote panel moderated by Julia Wallace, from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in Tempe. She will be joined by Jonathan Blakely, the head of the Cronkite School’s Editorial Integrity and Leadership Program, Ben Adler from Cap Radio and Tracy Brown from WBEZ.
Conference attendees are offered two breakout sessions at 1:00pm ET. See our post from July about the Urban Alternative format and stations involved in the project at:https://americancommunityradio.medium.com/meet-nikki-swarn-at-the-prpd-conference-fred-jacobs-shares-jarl-mohns-back-pages-4df6d68b7bf9
Also at 1:00pm, Tamar Charney from NPR moderates a panel about the interdependent tie between broadcast stations and podcasts.
There are also two breakout panels at 2:15pm ET. In virtual Breakout Room One, Alisa Barba from American Amplified and Rachel Hubbard, the Executive Director of KOSU, Oklahoma City. KOSU is a participating station in the project.
Expect a lively hour in Breakout Room Two when some of the most influential classical music programmers discuss tactics to diversify and widen the appeal of the ages-old music. Frank Dominguez is the moderator of the panel.
At 3:30pm ET, Mark Fuerst moderates Local That Works. He will be joined by Will Keible from WDAV, Debbie Hiott from KUT and others panelists yet to be announced.
Tuesday activities wrap up with the PRX Talent Show at 5:00pm ET.
Wednesday, September 15th starts with the highly anticipated debrief of Trends and Stories from PRTS 2021. This year the presentation of Jacob Media’s Public Radio Tech Survey will be different than in past years.
Abby Goldstein, President and Executive Director of PRPD told me the results of the annual survey will be announced in a two-step process:
Goldstein: “First, the data with shared with the survey stakeholders via a webinar on September 9th. That webinar will be recorded and made available to conference attendees on PRPD’s Socio page. Fred Jacobs and the stakeholders will identify four or five big picture trends that will be discussed during the Wednesday morning keynote.”
“Then, on Wednesday at 11:30am ET, the big picture trends will be discussed during a conversation hosted by Jay Kernis. Fred Jacobs and Ju-Don Marshall, Chief Content Officer and EVP at WFAE will discuss the 2021 PRTS results.”
Four Breakout sessions will finish the final day of the 2021 PRPD Conference.
KEN SAYS: Overall, the 2021 PRPD Conference is consequential, inclusive and friendly. Best of all, the conference is focused on keeping the stations sustainable. The goal of the Conference is to expand and diversifying station public service. Of the 19 individual sessions, 17 (90%) are devoted to stations and the content they create.
The Conference is consequential because stations are competing for listener attention, loyalty and support. Some people say “radio is dying,” but you won’t hear that notion at this year’s PRPD Conference. The sessions and attendees are believers in power of audio and radio to make our society better.
The people you will see and hear are a mix of young and old, pros and newcomers who are devoted the building a sustainable and more inclusive nation that values fact-based news and music that matters.
When you attend the 2021 PRPD Conference you will find other people that share this optimism, enthusiasm and sense of purpose.