Death By Meeting Essay Example
Death By Meeting Essay Example

Death By Meeting Essay Example

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  • Pages: 7 (1749 words)
  • Published: August 7, 2016
  • Type: Article
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In his book Death by Meeting, Patrick Lencioni, the president of the Table Group and an accomplished author, explores the challenges and pitfalls of meetings. Lencioni, who resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family, has also written The Five Temptations of a CEO, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. The book is divided into two main parts - Fable and Model - with four sub-parts in the first part and seven sub-parts in the second part.

The text introduces Casey McDaniel, a businessman who owns a company called Yip. Yip specializes in selling software for golf games, as Casey is an avid golfer and passionate about the sport. The story is divided into four parts, each consisting of flashbacks, plot points, protagonists, actions, and resolutions. These parts serve as the outline for the story

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and depict how Casey's meetings transform him. Ultimately, his loyalty to golf drives him to establish a business aligned with his passion.

Starting his business from scratch made him more responsible and hardworking. He aspired to stand out in the business industry as the first specialized interactive videogame maker in the field of golf. His business had a significant impact on customers, especially golfers, as he incorporated all his knowledge, theories, strategies, and golf talents into his software. Hence, some remarkable golfers were grateful to Casey for his creation. However, Casey's software was not intended for everyone; it targeted adults for entertainment and knowledge purposes, excluding children's enjoyment.

Moreover, the privatization of Casey's company resulted in limited affordability for only a few individuals. This consequently

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led to several problems as the company struggled to meet the needs and desires of its employees or general public despite many others being present. Casey was greatly troubled by this situation and a crucial issue deeply impacted him during their meeting. Furthermore, Yip faced another significant internal problem with consistently lackluster meetings lacking focus and enthusiasm.

Even though they have numerous agendas, they fail to find any resolution for them. They simply ignore these agendas and their associated issues, especially when they are short on time. After considerable thought, Casey made the decision to sell Yip to Playsoft. However, even if he sells Yip and his company becomes just one division of Playsoft, Casey will still remain the CEO of Yip and all his employees will accompany him to Playsoft. T. J. Harrison, on behalf of Playsoft, agreed to Casey's conditions. However, upon joining Playsoft, the stock of the company declined, resulting in a major problem.

The executives are working to enhance the competitiveness and stock market performance of their division. They meet every Monday at ten in the morning, even though these meetings are consistently unexciting and lack energy. Surprisingly, the executives appear content or unaffected by the dullness of these gatherings. On a specific day, Casey felt uneasy when J. T. expressed interest in attending his executive meeting, knowing well that such meetings were far from enjoyable. However, J. T. insisted on joining despite Casey's suggestion of having a private conversation if there was an issue.

On the day of the meeting, J. T. attended and noticed the executives of Casey. Similar to the group's usual meetings, it lacked

passion and was dull and boring. J. T. saw an opportunity to take Casey's position because he observed that Casey was not an effective facilitator for his executives, and they were unable to accomplish their agendas. All their plans were disregarded. Additionally, Casey's Administrative Assistant, Gia, who is pregnant with twins, needs to rest and will be leaving her boss Casey.

Then, Casey needs someone to temporarily fill the position of Gia. Casey is aware that his friend’s son, named Will, is searching for a job to support himself while pursuing his PhD. Despite being highly qualified, Casey decided to hire Will on a temporary basis. Initially, Will was hesitant as he had other responsibilities for his boss. However, one day he noticed his boss, Casey, experiencing problems while sitting at his desk. Casey already knew that J. T. wanted to take his position. Will became determined to find ways to assist his boss.

Upon his first interaction with his new coworkers, he recognized that the meetings were extremely unpleasant and had a strong urge to convey his frustration about the executives' meaningless discussions. When one of the executives asked for his viewpoint on the meeting, he honestly admitted that it was terrible. Afterwards, Will carried out research and contemplated on ways to enhance executive meetings by making them more interesting and engaging. Utilizing his background in film studies, he began to notice similarities between movies and meetings. Consequently, he concluded that introducing conflict into their meetings is essential for capturing the attention of the executives or listeners.

During a meeting, Will shared his successful theories but felt that there was something

lacking. He recognized the missing element as structure and stressed its significance to the executives in a subsequent meeting. This became crucial as Casey's promotion depended on J.T.'s attendance at one of their meetings.

J. T. attended Casey's executive meeting once again, only to be astonished by the preparedness and orderliness of the executives. However, this meeting was different from previous ones, causing J. T. to continuously take notes due to his astonishment. Casey and Will were aware that they had succeeded with Will's theory.

Nevertheless, one day Playsoft's CEO sent letters to the company's executives and vice presidents. Upon reading the letter, Casey realized that it would not be J.T who would replace him in his position but rather the CEO of Playsoft himself would be replaced.

The following part served as an expansion of the theories Will presented to the executives. Patrick explained how movies and meetings would be closely linked in terms of captivating both the audience and executives. Looking at it from a church meeting perspective, I perceive Casey as a representation of a vulnerable man burdened with various difficulties and interacting with different individuals. In my view, J. T. symbolizes wickedness as he subjects man to trials and misery solely for his own satisfaction and happiness, as J. T. conveyed in the narrative.

In the story, Ken plays the role of God the Father and entrusts his son Will with supporting and accompanying Casey, even if only for a short time. Both Will and Casey share a sentiment of affection expressed by Ken towards Casey. Will represents Jesus Christ as he helps Casey overcome darkness and

discover their potential for goodness. The executives symbolize negative traits such as fear, temptation, discontentment, anger, impatience, rudeness, and other unfavorable qualities found in humans. From a church meeting perspective, the story's strength lies in its climactic resolution.

When reading this book, one is eager for the productivity of the subsequent meetings. Casey's group recognizes that their last meeting is crucial both for them as executives and for Yip. The resolution of the story does not diminish after the meeting. Readers continue to be engrossed in the following chapters, curious to see what will happen to the group, particularly Casey and Will. The book thoroughly explores its scenes, scenarios, and ideas. Despite being lengthy for a "fable," reading this book is still worthwhile.

The book centers on the business world and offers broader perspectives and ideas. It delves into different areas that readers can connect with. Lencioni adeptly and creatively portrays each character, evoking various emotions like joy, amusement, fury, and others. As a reader, I observed how the author seamlessly incorporates these distinct characters into the scenarios he has crafted.

The text highlights the importance of understanding the setting and situation before diving into the story, as well as how Casey and J. T. resolve their issues through conversation. It becomes apparent that good prevails over evil with Christ's help, which is shown by J. T.'s decision to turn down a new job because he believes he won't succeed as Playsoft's CEO. However, one downside of the narrative is that people often rely on their emotions alone during church meetings, disregarding other factors.

Throughout the story, Casey repeatedly left Will

without any knowledge due to his emotional issues. Will didn't complain about Casey's actions, but he often wondered about Casey's behavior. Regardless, Will chose to overlook it and comply with Casey's instructions. As humans, we sometimes forget that despite our rudeness and hypocrisy, God is always willing to help us. We often make God wait until we truly need Him and plead for His mercy. God sent His son Christ to be by our side, assisting us in fixing our lives and leading them in the right direction.

Although we often ignore him until we can handle things on our own, even during difficult times, we only turn to him when we are truly lost. If he doesn't reply quickly, we get angry and say that he doesn't care about us. This flaw is seen from a religious or church perspective. However, the entire book or story is enjoyable and enlightening. It appeals not only to business professionals but also to individuals who avoid confronting others because they lack confidence and feel uncomfortable around those in higher positions.

The story prompts readers to consider the possibilities and positive outcomes of various situations. Although parts of the story may provoke anger, overall it is entertaining and enjoyable. The characters in the story strongly resonate with the discussed religious symbols. It is widely recognized that humans are inherently weak and require someone to alleviate their burdens. Will plays a crucial role in this story as he becomes the connection between being good and being content as a human. He transforms Casey into a person with conviction, enabling him to fulfill his goals and purpose while

also supporting others who depend on him.

During a critical period in their lives, Casey permitted Will to travel to Chicago and participate in a project, despite Will's reluctance to leave Casey. This mirrors the obedience of Christ towards humanity, even when it is misguided or detrimental, as He desires to demonstrate His love for them. Despite his return from Chicago, Will continued to support Casey during their encounter. This aspect of the narrative emphasizes how individuals often seek solace in Christ during challenging and pivotal moments until the suffering diminishes.

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