We’ve all been in that meeting – where the conference room feels like a prison and the analytic synergy trend data reporting numbers (I made that up) seem like a complete blur. Why keep putting yourself through that? It only takes one easy change to make your meeting awesome.
Meet at the bar.
Seriously, it’s way better. Here’s why.
There’s beer there.
The great part about the bar is that they always have beer. If you pick your spot wisely, they’ll even have a selection for you to choose from. Places with beer are 100% better than places without beer. So therefore, it stands to reason that meetings with beer are 100% better than meetings without beer. It’s simple math.
You’re more creative.
In my experience, meeting at the bar unleashes creativity like nothing else can. Maybe it’s the 5.5% alcohol by volume, or maybe it’s just being out of the office, but there’s something about the bar that brings out the genius in all of us.
Just think about your own life. How many awesome ideas have you had sitting around drinking with your buddies? Like that time you broke your leg jumping off the roof because you can “totally jump all the way to the pool from here,” or when you decided you needed that tattoo of a unicorn breathing fire because “how could I regret this?”
Imagine bringing that level of ideation to your work. I know, mind blown. And you’re not even at the bar yet.
It’s relaxing.
There’s something about being out of the office (and not in someone else’s) that is just inherently relaxing. Even though you’re still working, you’re not “at work.” Which is cool.
That’s why working at the bar is so great. You trick your mind into thinking you’re having fun while you’re really meeting about something awful. #ThatsMeta
Get to know people.
I don’t know about you, but I find it a lot easier to get to know someone over a beer than a PowerPoint. There’s no pressure to be overly professional or put on a show for the boss when you’re at the bar. You can be yourself and really get to know the people you’re doing business with. That helps your overall client relationship and makes you a superhero around the office.
Which is nice.
It’s a business beer.
When you’re meeting at the bar, the beers you consume aren’t just your average dad pops. They’re business beers. And business beers operate with a different set of rules than your standard beer.
For example, each beer only counts as half, because it’s business. The calories consumed aren’t tracked in any diet, because it’s business. You don’t have to tell your spouse about them, because it’s business. Most importantly, you can charge them to the company, because it’s business.
The next time you’re falling asleep while Norm is updating you on the exciting world of who-knows-what, you’ll remember this and think “Damn, I should be at the bar right now.” Then you’ll truly understand why we prefer meeting at the bar.
