Friday Funny: Meeting "Bingo"

The following item comes from the Lots of Jokes Web site.

Do you keep falling asleep in meetings and seminars? What about those long and boring conference calls? Monotone voices burbling on and on like a creek for hours on end, forcing you to look for the nearest sharp object or length of wire to end it all. Here’s a way to change all of that…

1. Before (or during) your next meeting, seminar, or conference call, prepare yourself by drawing a square. Typically, 5″x5″ is a good size. Divide the card into columns-five across and five down. That will give you 25 one-inch blocks.

2. Write one of the following words/phrases in each block:
synergy
strategic fit
core competencies
best practice
bottom line
revisit
take that off-line
24/7
out of the loop
benchmark
value-added
proactive
win-win
think outside the box
fast track
result-driven
empower
knowledge base
solution
touch base
mindset
client focus
paradigm
game plan
leverage
3. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of those words/phrases.
4. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout “B.S.!”

Testimonials from satisfied “B.S. Bingo” players:
• “I had been in the meeting for only five minutes when I won.”
– Jack W., Boston

• “My attention span at meetings has improved dramatically.”
– David D., Florida

• “What a gas! Meetings will never be the same for me after my first win.”
– Bill R., New York City

• “The atmosphere was tense in the last process meeting as 14 of us waited for the fifth box.” – Ben G., Denver

• “The speaker was stunned as eight of us screamed ‘B.S.!’ for the third time in two hours.” – Kathleen L., Atlanta