So, it finally came time for the second homeowners’ meeting of my life. It was quite instructive—I’d say I noticed many similarities with business meetings.
Let me explain.
The administrator and the president, the ones running the meeting, stood up front with a piece of paper listing the agenda. There were many items—understandably so, there’s a lot to sort out in our building.
I quickly noticed that some people sat in the back, grumbling; when the administrator asked if anyone had something to say or called for a vote, they stayed silent, voted for the proposals, and then turned around to complain about what they’d just approved. With grimaces, eye-rolls—you know the type. Comments like, “Why are they asking us for that money?”, “Why isn’t the elevator fixed yet?”, “Where do they think we’ll get the money from?” and many more.
This is pretty much what happens in companies too. Every group has its designated complainers. They don’t speak up, don’t ask questions—but their facial expressions give them away. In the background, they become quite vocal. They quickly gather others who are ready to gossip about the person running the meeting.
The second category of people sat up front, listened, occasionally asked a polite question, and then things moved along.
You find these people in organizations too. They understand what needs to be done and why—then go off and implement. They don’t cut corners or try to deceive anyone; they’d do the same even if no one was watching. They’re fewer in number, generally.
Then, I noticed a third group—those who were very vocal and always dissatisfied. When the administrator or president called a vote, they voted in favor, but you could see on their faces that they weren’t happy, as if they were being forced.
This category exists in companies too. They openly complain, ask questions, seem displeased. The good part? You know exactly where you stand with them. They don’t smile at you and then backstab you later. They metaphorically wear a black hat—always grumpy, always displeased, but not destructive. You just need to explain the benefits more clearly so they can understand the reasoning behind a decision.
One of the meeting leads occasionally walked over to the first group—the sarcastic, cynical crew—to joke around with them. They even made fun of the person who was still speaking.
This happens in organizations too: those who should be leading, instead of forming a united, supportive front, end up undermining each other.
I arrived late because I had an interview I couldn’t reschedule. I notified the president, who had convened the meeting—I thought it was the respectful, decent thing to do.
Others arrived late and walked past everyone without saying a word, without pausing.
In organizations too, some people come and go as they please, act like they own the place, as if they’re royalty. Sure, the kingdom isn’t theirs, no one’s a servant—but for them, those details hardly matter.
P.S. I didn’t catch any of the juicy gossip you’d expect from a close-knit community. For that, I’d probably need to start smoking, making a certain kind of joke, and invest more time in making small talk with all the categories mentioned above. But that’ll happen in another life. Or not.