The elephant scout

How many meetings have you been in, after having already dragged on for ages, someone finally pipes up and says what everyone isn't?

Last night I went to my first church meeting in... well... months.

Not for the first time, I took it upon myself to name, what I thought, was one of the looming elephants in the room.

I think every meeting needs someone to do this (even if it isn't me!).

If your meeting has a purpose, and ideally they all should (outlined in the previously circulated agenda), then tiptoeing around the problems, ultimately, wastes everyone's time.

Fortunately, I've been in many meetings where I've either helped set the agenda or have been in the fortunate enough position to claim ignorance, so my elephant spotting can usually be excused...

But, as hard as it might be, every meeting needs someone who will spot the elephant and make it known.

For, it is only then that the real issues get wrestled with and things progress.