>I have done a fair amount of "information capture" during meetings over
>the years. (Translation: I take notes on a laptop... usually making them
>available to attendees after the meeting.) I have many times been
>requested to "leave off the names" -- not because I have previously
>recorded people's ideas incorrectly... but because they did not want to
>be responsible for them at some later date.
>
>I found this interesting... since they obviously had no problem _voicing_
>the idea... only in having people be able to pull up "proof" that they had
>said it!
Very good point. And to emphasize it, think of how many times you've heard
the phrase "off the record" when people want to be frank.
I too have removed names from meeting notes, particularly when they are
going to be distributed. But I feel this is a different anonyminity for
various reasons including:
- People don't want to be misquoted. While the record may be accurate,
simply the concern of misquoting will stifle the conversation.
- While the statement may be accurate and sound, there's a fear that
a point will later be misquoted in a conversation. (George Bush may
want to make a clarification on super market scanners.)
- Sometimes statements and ideas take on different meanings when taken
out of context ... and context does not always make it into print.
(Not pretty in a court of law.)
- Meetings are often used for light brainstorming, and we don't want
our loose and under-cooked ideas out in the open just yet.
- If an idea may be controversial, people don't want to take the chance
of creating small battles. Given the opportunity, they may speak up
honestly when they feel it will help someone else, but not at the
expense of having to expend energy later to defend these ideas - for
the defense will take time/energy away from their own mission(s).
- People want the right to change their minds.
- Humor does not quote well, but is useful for keeping meetings creative.
Not all these examples address the concerns expressed to KCBY. But in each
case people are willing to stand up for what they said. It's not
in-meeting anonymity they want - they want out-of-meeting anonymity.
Nothing new here. But don't quote me on it. :)
-- Doug Blair, dblair@ix.netcom.com