GoKawiilNature advice column debates meeting chair who arrives late to skip small talk
A US research-university scientist wrote to Nature's advice column defending a habit of turning up late to meetings they chair in order to avoid small talk, arguing this keeps sessions efficient and lets them end early. Nature asked several other scientists to weigh in on whether this behaviour is disrespectful or simply a productivity tactic.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The exchange highlights a common workplace tension between valuing colleagues' time through efficiency and showing respect through punctuality and social rapport-building. Several respondents suggest that skipping small talk entirely could undermine trust and collaboration, even if it shortens meetings, indicating that professional norms around etiquette remain contested across academic cultures.
- An anonymous academic defends habitually arriving late to meetings to avoid small talk.
- Nature's advice column solicited peer reactions, with most scientists calling the practice disrespectful.
- Respondents suggest brief small talk can build rapport without significantly delaying meetings.
Source: nature.com — Pells, 2026-09-30
Published there as: “I turn up late to meetings to dodge small talk. Am I wrong?”
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