Hallway Meetings

I have a confession to make. I have a major pet peeve that I feel led to share with the world (or whomever might find their way to this little page).
I hate hallway meetings.

You know - the type of meetings where two or more people congregate in the hallway spontaneously to discuss whatever they feel led to blabber on about. Sometimes it is work related; most times it is not. Yet there they stand, chattering away with total disregard for anyone else around them. These meetings seem to usually take place in one of two locations.

The first place is typically in an area that is sure to cause the most congestion. These are the meetings where the attendees stand either immediately in or in front of a main doorway, or perhaps in a small hallway that see a ton of traffic. The second location is chosen based on how many people might possibly hear the discussion or see the meeting taking place. This is the meeting that either occurs right outside the office door or perhaps on the other side of a row of cubicles.

While I have been told that these discussions used to take place over the water cooler or in the break room, it is obvious that these meetings have now migrated into the common space of all the other employees who are actually doing work. It appears to me that the people who are the most common offenders in holding these impromtu gatherings are in all actuality the people who seem to accomplish the least amount of work.

I have two theories as to why these meetings exist.
Reason number one - These people are in a tremendous hurry and think that these meetings are productive and help produce quicker results. What they fail to realize is that their "productive" meeting is usually detrimental to others around them.
Reason number two - These people are trying to look or sound busy in order to perpetuate the idea that they are doing work. They might also be trying to impress others by what they say or how they sound. These folks fail to realize that more times than not they sound like chattering chimps, which might be cute at first, but quickly becomes very annoying.
Reason number three - These people are just plain arrogant, rude or oblivious to the fact that they are being disruptive. They have no idea that they are standing in the way of others. They don't realize that their voice carries over that partition they are leaning on or through that open door they are standing next to. They don't recognize that they could take this little meeting into their office, the breakroom, one of the many conference rooms designed for this purpose or even outside (it's nice out people!)

If you are reading this, please take into mind how your actions might affect those around you while at work. Try to keep in mind that there are others around you who have places to go, people to have actual meetings with (in the appropriate places) and work to get done. We don't need or want to hear about what you are working on or what happened last night at your house, unless we initiate such a discussion.

Thank you for your consideration of others while at work!