Years ago, I worked for the local electric company and we would have
very lengthy monthly meetings with lots of information being thrown
around. Some pertained directly to us and our roles and then some
did not. During the time information was unrelated we would instant
message one another regarding unrelated things and get lost in
personal conversations. This is a negative impact on having sidebar
conversations especially being as though sometimes we would lose
track of where we were and trying to figure out how to get back on
track with the initial discussion was sometimes difficult.
A positive way side conversations can impact this instance as stated
in the reading, "In many cases, this allows side conversations that help
the meeting operate more efficiently" (Gardner et Al. 2019). People
can elaborate and collectively work on things while a meeting is in
progress that can add depth and resolutions if need be (multi-tasking).
For example, we would also side bar if a question was asked of us and
we needed a collective answer, or if more information was needed
while the meeting continued.
Depending upon the usage of side conversations it can negatively and
positively impact both internal and external stakeholders within an
organization. If done properly, it will gain trust and show the ability of
multi-tasking in order to get things accomplished. However, if done
incorrectly, you could lose the trust and respect of colleagues which
can negatively impact any business relationship. This falls directly in
line with the "competence, caring, and character models" (Gardner et
Al. 2019) presented in the reading. By utilizing side conversations
appropriately, it can be mostly beneficial for the people involved as
well as the betterment of the meeting.
References
Gardner, H., & Peterson, R. (2019, September 1). Back channels in the
boardroom. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/09/back-
channels-in-the-boardroom
