A Meeting Held Standing Up

小林刚到一家广告公司上班的时候，最害怕的就是每周一上午的会议。

Xiǎo (third tone, dipping) Lín (second tone, rising) gāng (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) yì (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) guǎnggào (third tone, dipping) gōngsī (first tone, high and level) shàngbān (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) zuì (fourth tone, falling) hàipà (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) měi (third tone, dipping) zhōuyī (first tone, high and level) shàngwǔ (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) huìyì. (fourth tone, falling)

When Xiao Lin first started at an advertising agency, what she dreaded most was the meeting every Monday morning.

会议一般九点开始，常常要开到十一点多。大家坐在会议室里，有人低着头看手机，有人看着窗户外面，真正发言的只有经理一个人。

Huìyì (fourth tone, falling) yìbān (fourth tone, falling) jiǔ (third tone, dipping) diǎn (third tone, dipping) kāishǐ, (first tone, high and level) chángcháng (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) kāi (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) shíyī (second tone, rising) diǎn (third tone, dipping) duō. (first tone, high and level) Dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) huìyìshì (fourth tone, falling) li, (neutral tone) yǒu (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) dī (first tone, high and level) zhe (neutral tone) tóu (second tone, rising) kàn (fourth tone, falling) shǒujī, (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) kàn (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) chuānghu (first tone, high and level) wàimiàn, (fourth tone, falling) zhēnzhèng (first tone, high and level) fāyán (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) zhǐyǒu (third tone, dipping) jīnglǐ (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) rén. (second tone, rising)

It usually began at nine and often ran until after eleven. Everyone sat in the meeting room — some with their heads down over their phones, some gazing out of the window — and the only person who actually spoke was the manager.

会议结束以后，很多人都说不清楚这次会议到底决定了什么。

Huìyì (fourth tone, falling) jiéshù (second tone, rising) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) rén (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) bu (neutral tone) qīngchu (first tone, high and level) zhè (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) dàodǐ (fourth tone, falling) juédìng (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) shénme. (second tone, rising)

Afterwards, many people could not say what the meeting had actually decided.

去年秋天，公司来了一位新经理，姓周。

Qùnián (fourth tone, falling) qiūtiān, (first tone, high and level) gōngsī (first tone, high and level) lái (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) xīn (first tone, high and level) jīnglǐ, (first tone, high and level) xìng (fourth tone, falling) Zhōu. (first tone, high and level)

Last autumn the company took on a new manager, a woman named Zhou.

她参加了第一次周一会议，什么意见也没有发表，只是在笔记本上记了一些数字。

Tā (first tone, high and level) cānjiā (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) cì (fourth tone, falling) zhōuyī (first tone, high and level) huìyì, (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) yìjiàn (fourth tone, falling) yě (third tone, dipping) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) fābiǎo, (first tone, high and level) zhǐshì (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) bǐjìběn (third tone, dipping) shang (neutral tone) jì (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yìxiē (fourth tone, falling) shùzì. (fourth tone, falling)

She attended her first Monday meeting without offering a single opinion; she only wrote a few figures in her notebook.

第二个星期，会议室里的椅子都不见了，桌子上只放着一张纸，上面写着三条规定。

Dì (fourth tone, falling) èr (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xīngqī, (first tone, high and level) huìyìshì (fourth tone, falling) li (neutral tone) de (neutral tone) yǐzi (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) bú (second tone, rising) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) zhuōzi (first tone, high and level) shang (neutral tone) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) fàng (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) yì (fourth tone, falling) zhāng (first tone, high and level) zhǐ, (third tone, dipping) shàngmiàn (fourth tone, falling) xiě (third tone, dipping) zhe (neutral tone) sān (first tone, high and level) tiáo (second tone, rising) guīdìng. (first tone, high and level)

The following week every chair had gone from the meeting room. On the table lay a single sheet of paper with three rules written on it.

第一，每次会议不超过十五分钟；第二，每个人发言以前要先想好自己要解决什么问题；第三，会议结束时，必须说清楚谁在什么时间以前完成什么事情。

Dì (fourth tone, falling) yī, (first tone, high and level) měi (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) chāoguò (first tone, high and level) shíwǔ (second tone, rising) fēnzhōng; (first tone, high and level) dì (fourth tone, falling) èr, (fourth tone, falling) měi (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) fāyán (first tone, high and level) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) xiān (first tone, high and level) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) hǎo (third tone, dipping) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling) jiějué (third tone, dipping) shénme (second tone, rising) wèntí; (fourth tone, falling) dì (fourth tone, falling) sān, (first tone, high and level) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) jiéshù (second tone, rising) shí, (second tone, rising) bìxū (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) qīngchu (first tone, high and level) shuí (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) shíjiān (second tone, rising) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) wánchéng (second tone, rising) shénme (second tone, rising) shìqing. (fourth tone, falling)

One: no meeting lasts more than fifteen minutes. Two: before speaking, everyone works out which problem they want to solve. Three: when the meeting ends, it must be stated clearly who will finish what, and by when.

大家都觉得很奇怪，有的人还开玩笑说，经理是想让大家锻炼身体。

Dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) juéde (second tone, rising) hěn (third tone, dipping) qíguài, (second tone, rising) yǒude (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) hái (second tone, rising) kāi (first tone, high and level) wánxiào (second tone, rising) shuō, (first tone, high and level) jīnglǐ (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) ràng (fourth tone, falling) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) duànliàn (fourth tone, falling) shēntǐ. (first tone, high and level)

Everyone found this very odd, and some joked that the manager wanted them to get some exercise.

可是几个星期以后，情况发生了明显的变化。

Kěshì (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) xīngqī (first tone, high and level) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) qíngkuàng (second tone, rising) fāshēng (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) míngxiǎn (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) biànhuà. (fourth tone, falling)

But a few weeks later, things had changed noticeably.

因为站着很累，没有人愿意说跟问题无关的话；因为时间很短，大家开会以前都会认真准备。

Yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) zhàn (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) lèi, (fourth tone, falling) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) rén (second tone, rising) yuànyì (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) gēn (first tone, high and level) wèntí (fourth tone, falling) wúguān (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) huà; (fourth tone, falling) yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) shíjiān (second tone, rising) hěn (third tone, dipping) duǎn, (third tone, dipping) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) kāi (first tone, high and level) huì (fourth tone, falling) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) huì (fourth tone, falling) rènzhēn (fourth tone, falling) zhǔnbèi. (third tone, dipping)

Because standing is tiring, nobody wanted to say anything that had nothing to do with the problem; because time was short, everyone prepared carefully before the meeting.

以前要两个小时才能讨论完的事情，现在十几分钟就能有结果。

Yǐqián (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) liǎng (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) xiǎoshí (third tone, dipping) cái (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) tǎolùn (third tone, dipping) wán (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) shìqing, (fourth tone, falling) xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) shíjǐ (second tone, rising) fēnzhōng (first tone, high and level) jiù (fourth tone, falling) néng (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) jiéguǒ. (second tone, rising)

Matters that used to take two hours of discussion now reached a result in ten-odd minutes.

而且，因为每次会议最后都说清楚了谁负责什么，事情不再被推来推去，整个部门的工作效率也提高了不少。

Érqiě, (third tone, dipping) yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) měi (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) zuìhòu (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) qīngchu (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) shuí (second tone, rising) fùzé (fourth tone, falling) shénme, (second tone, rising) shìqing (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) bèi (fourth tone, falling) tuī (first tone, high and level) lái (second tone, rising) tuī (first tone, high and level) qù, (fourth tone, falling) zhěnggè (third tone, dipping) bùmén (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) gōngzuò (first tone, high and level) xiàolǜ (fourth tone, falling) yě (third tone, dipping) tígāo (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo. (third tone, dipping)

What is more, because every meeting ended by making clear who was responsible for what, tasks were no longer pushed back and forth, and the whole department became noticeably more efficient.

当然，也有人提出了不同的看法。

Dāngrán, (first tone, high and level) yě (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) tíchū (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) bùtóng (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) kànfǎ. (fourth tone, falling)

Of course, some people saw it differently.

设计部门的老王认为，有些复杂的问题需要大家坐下来慢慢交流，十五分钟根本不够。

Shèjì (fourth tone, falling) bùmén (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) Lǎo (third tone, dipping) Wáng (second tone, rising) rènwéi, (fourth tone, falling) yǒuxiē (third tone, dipping) fùzá (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) wèntí (fourth tone, falling) xūyào (first tone, high and level) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) xiàlái (fourth tone, falling) mànmàn (fourth tone, falling) jiāoliú, (first tone, high and level) shíwǔ (second tone, rising) fēnzhōng (first tone, high and level) gēnběn (first tone, high and level) bú (second tone, rising) gòu. (fourth tone, falling)

Old Wang in the design department argued that some complicated problems need people to sit down and talk them through slowly, and fifteen minutes is nowhere near enough.

周经理接受了这个建议：讨论新想法的会议可以坐着开，时间也可以长一些，但是一定要提前把材料发给每个人，让大家先看一看。

Zhōu (first tone, high and level) jīnglǐ (first tone, high and level) jiēshòu (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) zhè (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) jiànyì: (fourth tone, falling) tǎolùn (third tone, dipping) xīn (first tone, high and level) xiǎngfǎ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) kāi, (first tone, high and level) shíjiān (second tone, rising) yě (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) cháng (second tone, rising) yìxiē, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) yídìng (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) tíqián (second tone, rising) bǎ (third tone, dipping) cáiliào (second tone, rising) fā (first tone, high and level) gěi (third tone, dipping) měi (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) rén, (second tone, rising) ràng (fourth tone, falling) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) xiān (first tone, high and level) kàn (fourth tone, falling) yi (neutral tone) kàn. (fourth tone, falling)

Manager Zhou accepted the suggestion: meetings to discuss new ideas could be held sitting down and could run longer, but the material had to be sent to everyone in advance so they could read it first.

小林后来说，这件事让她明白了一个道理：会议的长短并不是最重要的，重要的是每个人是否清楚自己为什么来参加。

Xiǎo (third tone, dipping) Lín (second tone, rising) hòulái (fourth tone, falling) shuō, (first tone, high and level) zhè (fourth tone, falling) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) ràng (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) míngbai (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) dàoli: (fourth tone, falling) huìyì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) chángduǎn (second tone, rising) bìng (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) zuì (fourth tone, falling) zhòngyào (fourth tone, falling) de, (neutral tone) zhòngyào (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) měi (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) shìfǒu (fourth tone, falling) qīngchu (first tone, high and level) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) wèishénme (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) cānjiā. (first tone, high and level)

Xiao Lin said later that the episode taught her something: the length of a meeting is not what matters most; what matters is whether every person there knows why they have come.