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“Meetings are at the heart of an effective organization, and each meeting is an opportunity to clarify issues, set new directions, sharpen focus, create alignment, and move objectives forward." - Paul Axtell

1. Go into a meeting knowing fully well what the issues, objectives and outcomes are or should be.

Exhaustively reading up all the papers for consideration, for instance, is a good meeting preparation practice.

2. Pay careful attention at meetings.

3. Effective meetings require the active and constructive participation of the attendees.

You would help the meeting to achieve its objectives (and yours) if you actively participate.

4. Be generous in paying compliments and sincerely commending meeting participants.

Commend good practices, commend good ideas, commend good behavior, commend brilliant suggestions, commend recorded successes and commend points of view, even if not in alignment with yours.

Commendation creates a positive and pleasant meeting atmosphere, prerequisites for meeting effectiveness.

5. Be open to great (and usually disguised) ideas in meetings.

These discerned ideas would help you in matters that may not even relate to the objectives of the meeting.

Each meeting you attend can generate life- changing ideas.

6. One of your unwritten responsibilities is to provide the meeting with good ideas.

The more good ideas you provide, the greater the likelihood of the meeting achieving its objectives with your ideas.

Also, people with good ideas get invited to the right meetings and consequently receive the right appreciation and favourable exposure.

7. Discussions go very fast in meetings.

8. It is good practice to allow the other meeting participant to finish speaking before you respond.

Interrupting is actually rude.

Never interrupt.

9. Stay in your area of expertise during discussions.

10. If you don't understand, ask a question.

If you are in doubt, ask a question.

Do not leave the meeting without asking the right questions.