# The Eyes are Bigger than the Stomach By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-08-22 I can remember, as a child, sometimes ordering more food than I could eat. When I did, my father said, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” I remember liking this statement. It captured the situation well metaphorically and enabled me to think and reflect. Regarding meetings, some executives’ eyes are bigger than their stomachs. They like to plan epic adventure meetings. When it comes to execution, often something happens that requires a more modest approach. Perhaps it was a destination meeting that became a virtual meeting. Perhaps it was an all-day meeting that became an hour-long meeting. However, it is modified, and some reduction is frequently made. These modifications are often met with ambivalence from those involved. Work is often expended making the originally planned meeting feasible, so there is the wasted effort expended orchestrating “the event.” On the other hand, what is actually executed often requires less time and effort, so the task itself becomes easier to execute. Likely, there are mixed emotions about the re-scoping of the plan. The original plan potentially contains more pomp and symbolism. The revised plan likely contains what is minimally sufficient. Many meetings fall somewhere in between these two extremes. When planning a meeting, it is beneficial to determine if one’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach. #### Related Items [[Meetings]] [[Planning]] [[Work]] [[Waste]] [[Value]] [[Sufficient]]