Trends in the use of hospital beds by older people in Australia: 1993–2002

The purpose of a meeting is simple: to deliberate, debate and decide. Anything else is superfluous. But, inevitably, this purpose is hijacked. Some see meetings as an opportunity to communicate, obfuscate or obstruct. Others use meetings to create the illusion of participatory decision-making, when decisions have already been made elsewhere. Power seekers dominate, and ineffective chairpersons tend to tolerate their behaviour — all the while the meeting time ticks on.