I got a lot of business meetings and I see time and time again how these companies pull you into meetings and tell you it is to brainstorm or get opinions and roll out new ideas etc. but I see the same old things over and over again. Rarely do they want to hear your opinions but they do want you to participate! If you say "why don't we try this" they say "good idea but what about this" which means they already have their minds made up, they don't want to hear what you have to say, just shut up and fall in line...and let the brainwashing begin. They use these meetings as a chance to plant a corporate seed and get you fired up over their new ideas. They use proven brainwashing techniques to do this. What are these techniques you ask? First is intimidation and fear. It is proven that when ridiculed or made a fool in a group people tend to conform. In almost every meeting people are made to stand up and introduce themselves, they are made to play silly games and treated like a child in front of others. This is said to be all in good fun, but we all know 90% of the people in that room are afraid to be called on or put on the spot. This is social conditioning because they know anyone afraid to be called on, when called on will not speak their true thoughts, they will repeat whatever has been put into their head by the company...everyone will nod, no one will digress...at least not openly. Next is chanting slogans. I can't tell you how often companies have employees in meetings chant slogans over and over. Sometimes it is part of a game being played, sometimes it is to "fire people up" but it's really brainwashing. When screaming a motto the reasoning side of the brain cannot function, try to work out an algebra problem while yelling the motto to your favorite product over and over...you can't do it. These are called thought-stopping techniques. Another is black and white choices. There is no room in the corporate world to agree with part of an idea and not the rest. You are either gung-ho balls to the wall about it or you are a trouble making negative nancy. Companies throw almost impossible goals and expectations at you, and in your shame and confusion and fear you have no choice but to agree and when you do you have just committed yourself to saying "Yes I can attain these results" and when you dont attain them it is YOUR fault because you already said you could, and wasn't that you shouting the company mantra the loudest? All of this boils down to conformity, and we all know for a FACT that companies use brainwashing techniques on customers to get them to buy products so what makes anyone think that companies don't use similar techniques on their employees? To sell people the "best product in the world" then companies have to brainwash employees into thinking they sell the best product in the world and work for the best company in the world even when 90% of the time this just isn't true.

And when their eloquence escapes you... their logic ties you up and rapes you.

I don't feel it...I KNOW it!

Brainstorming, Brainwashing and then the hidden mic's in your labs over your desk in your home bugs in the cars, and after they drug and torture you they try and get rid of you, been there seen it all ... and YES it do happen even here in the USA .... ~Nemo~

Anything that takes you away from your job..your duties..your work..costs the company money. If the meeting is not productive in terms of giving you information, asking for feedback, collecting ideas to improve conditions, the company is simply shooting itself in the foot. Not too smart.

Everything you need to know is written in "The Dilbert Principle" and "Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook", both by Scott Adams. Enjoy. Yes, it's all crap. But you may as well use the meetings to practise your public speaking skills. That way, at least you'll get something out of it. Or maybe you could practise droning on about crap that almost sounds important but isn't - thereby making the meeting as painful for them as it is for you. Or "toe the party line" but try and do it in a humourous way, thus increasing the odds that you can quit your job and become a comedian - beef up your skills in paid "work" time. You're getting paid but you're not working! You are given an opportunity to use your creativity! Do the bare minimum to keep the boss happy but try to find a way to use that time wisely. It's your life. Good luck! (I haven't been to many such meetings but I have decided to try and fight the experience, not let the experience pummel me.)