The Empty Chair

As I entered the room, the chairs were set up like a movie theater, all facing the front, ready for a screening of some sort.

I immediately thought, "This won't do."

With the help of my client, we move half of the chairs to the back, and set up the remaining 30 in a circle.

30 people had RSVP'd yes.

This was going to be a fun "Lunch and Learn" as we had advertised it.

As people slowly entered the room, they said things like, "Great, this is going to be interactive," as they took a seat near myself and the head of Talent Management for the EMEA region.

As time started ticking by, though, more than half of the chairs remained empty.

At 10 minutes after the start time, we moved more chairs and make the circle smaller.

Rather than 30, we were 14.

For me, it didn't matter either way.

Afterward, my client was lamenting how many people didn't show up.

She said that in "her day" she wouldn't dare NOT show up to a work event, and if there was a true emergency, she would have at least sent an email.

She pondered the generational gap between herself and some of the employees.

Do you feel frustrated when people RSVP and then don't show? Does it matter if it is a live event or an online one?

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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