Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would just say, “guys, this is a little bit more blood and entrails than I am prepared for today. Mind if we shift topics?” in a lighthearted way. It has nothing to do with being vegetarian. It’s just kind of gross to talk about in a meeting.
+1, from a farming kid. It's not office appropriate, and worse, it's tedious for two people to continually dominate the conversation with their hobby. I would not ever say that you're squeamish, because that's probably what they're after. I'd imply (after trying repeatedly to change the topic) that you're bored by them.
Since the meetings are in person, start a side conversation with someone else, ask a cooking question that isn't about meat, ask a new question about their livestock ("Do people ever ask you for Easter bunnies? I've heard some people actually rent them for the day."). If they continue to try to dominate, pointedly ask someone else about their hobby. You can get pretty rude in the name of including everyone.
Good point. And By saying something or changing the subject you may also be sticking up for others. For example, I have many coworkers who are vegetarian Indians and if they were present for this talk, I’d wonder if it was upsetting to them. Maybe not, but it’s always good to be mindful of cultural dynamics at play.
I actually believe that people who consume meat should be aware of the realities of it and I also think those who raise and handle their own meat are admirable but for me, this is just about what’s appropriate and considerate in a meeting, and this is not.
I had two hunting obsessed colleagues and while I found it extremely boring to listen to them, they focused mainly on discussion of equipment, tactics etc and nothing super graphic, so I was fine with that if not thrilled to hear it constantly.