Meeting Sayings That Stick

So, you find yourself in another business meeting, wondering if the coffee is stronger than the will to keep the conversation going. It’s not that the topics are unimportant—budgets need approving, strategies need crafting—but there’s a creeping sense that everyone is just going through the motions. What if you added a little spice instead of slogging through the usual routine? Enter clever sayings—your secret weapon for making those ho-hum meetings memorable.

Let’s start with a new one in the office lexicon coined by John Wasserman: “That’s a long way to go for a ham sandwich.” You know the feeling—someone proposes a grand idea, but it’s much work for little reward when you break it down. Maybe it’s a project that promises high visibility but low return or a task that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Dropping this phrase into the conversation is like pulling the emergency brake on a runaway train. It forces everyone to stop and consider whether the juice is worth the squeeze. It’s not just a clever quip; it’s a reality check.

On the subject of reality checks, there’s another gem: “26.2 miles is a long way to go for a banana.” ?That’s a classic among marathon runners.? This one’s for those moments when you’re in the thick of a project, and the reward at the end doesn’t quite match the effort. Maybe you’re in the middle of a grueling quarter, chasing targets that seem just out of reach. Reminding the team that sometimes, the journey is the reward, even if the finish line isn’t festooned with gold, can be just the motivation everyone needs. It says, “We know this is tough, but the effort is building something valuable.”

Of course, not every meeting is about hard work and reward. Sometimes, you deal with challenges everyone can see but no one wants to address. Enter the phrase: “We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” A twist on the classic “cross that bridge” this saying acknowledges that problems are inevitable, but worrying about them prematurely is just wasted energy. It’s a playful way to remind everyone that sometimes, the best approach is to deal with issues when they arise, not before.

Then there’s “whatever floats your goat,” a playful spin on the more familiar “whatever floats your boat.” This one is all about encouraging creativity and individuality in the workplace. When someone suggests an idea that’s a bit out of left field, instead of shooting it down, this phrase permits us to explore it. It’s a way of saying, “Go ahead, try it—if it works for you, it works for us.”

My favorite sayings are "This one sticks" and "This one has legs." I often use them in meetings when we’re brainstorming marketing copy. "This one sticks" means the idea is memorable and will linger in people's minds long after the meeting ends. "This one has legs" suggests the idea has potential—it can be expanded, developed into something bigger, perhaps even the foundation for an entire campaign. Interestingly, these sayings work just as well when discussing news stories. If something "sticks," it’s likely to stay in the headlines for a while. If it "has legs," it will spread, getting picked up by other media outlets.

And finally, the paradox of inactivity: “Doing nothing is very hard to do, you never know when you’re finished.” This quote is for those meetings where the agenda is a bit thin, and everyone is trying to look busy. It’s a tongue-in-cheek reminder that not all tasks are created equal, and sometimes, the seemingly easy jobs are the most elusive. Use it to emphasize the importance of clear goals and objectives. After all, without a finish line, how do you know when you’ve crossed it?