本可以是一条消息的会议

这个会开了一个小时，可是要讨论的事情，那份文件里其实都写清楚了。为什么大家还要坐在一起，把文件里的话再说一遍？

This meeting went on for an hour, but the things we were supposed to discuss were actually already written clearly in that document. Why do we still need everyone to sit together and say the document's words all over again?

你说得有道理，但你确定，那份文件真的每个人都看过吗？

You have a point, but are you sure everyone actually read that document?

这不是重点。如果没有人看文件，问题是没人看文件，不是我们需要开会。这个星期光是开会，我就用了十个小时，可是真正做出决策的会议，可能只有一两个。

That's not the point. If nobody read the document, the problem is that nobody read the document, not that we need a meeting. This week alone I spent ten hours in meetings, but the ones that actually produced a decision were maybe only one or two.

十个小时确实不少。那你觉得，剩下的会议是为了什么？

Ten hours really is a lot. So what do you think the rest of the meetings are for?

我觉得有的人开会，只是想让别人看到他在做事。会开得越多，工作看起来好像越认真，其实很多时候只是一种形式主义，把沟通的样子做给别人看，事情本身一点都没有变化。

I think some people hold meetings just so others can see them doing something. The more meetings there are, the more the work looks serious, but a lot of the time it's really just a kind of formalism, putting on the appearance of communicating for others to watch, while the thing itself hasn't changed at all.

形式主义这三个字有点重。不过我问你，如果我们现在要决定，要不要换一个新的系统，这种决策，你觉得靠几条消息就能沟通清楚吗？

Formalism is a heavy word. But let me ask you, if we needed to decide right now whether to switch to a new system, that kind of decision, do you think it could really be communicated clearly with just a few messages?

换系统这种事当然不行，需要大家一起讨论，还要看到别人的表情，听到别人的语气，这种决策必须坐在一起。

Something like switching systems, of course not, it needs everyone discussing together, seeing other people's expressions, hearing their tone. That kind of decision has to be made sitting together.

对，所以问题不是该不该开会，是我们常常分不清楚，哪种决策需要大家一起沟通，哪种事情，一条消息就够了。

Right, so the problem isn't whether to hold meetings at all, it's that we often can't tell apart which decisions need everyone communicating together, and which matters, one message is enough for.

那你觉得，谁应该决定这次的会到底该不该开？

So who do you think should decide whether this particular meeting should actually happen?

应该是发起会议的那个人。在发出会议邀请之前，先问自己一个问题：这件事，靠沟通一条消息能不能说清楚。能说清楚，就不该占用大家的时间，那才是真正的形式主义在浪费大家的时间。

It should be whoever is calling the meeting. Before sending out the invite, they should first ask themselves one question: can this matter really be made clear by communicating through a single message. If it can, it shouldn't take up everyone's time, and that is what real formalism, wasting everyone's time, looks like.

我同意，但说实话，很少有人会在开会前，先问自己这个问题。

I agree, but honestly, very few people ask themselves that question before scheduling a meeting.

那我们从今天开始问吧。下次我要发会议邀请的时候，你可以提醒我，先想清楚，这是不是一个真的需要大家一起决策的事情。

Then let's start asking from today. Next time I'm about to send a meeting invite, you can remind me to first think it through, whether this is really something that needs everyone deciding together.