People know that meetings should begin and end on time, but how often do we abuse that understanding?
Ignoring time limits can derail even the most cohesive group. All meetings need an agenda and must start and end at the appointed times.
If every item hasn't been addressed by the scheduled end point, schedule another meeting or ask if everyone can stay 15 more minutes. Don't just let the meeting drag on.
Here are a few more tips:
Meetings that don't start on time send a very clear message that the agenda or purpose of the meeting doesn't really matter, or, worse, that the participants' time isn't valued. If your leader doesn't respect your time and arrives late, go back to work and let the leader know you're ready whenever he or she is.
If you're responsible for a meeting, be sure you begin when you say you will and don't summarize for the person who arrives late. It bores the other on-time participants and dilutes the focus of everyone there.
Keep pagers and phones off. If people keep jumping up to check messages or leave when a call comes in, the focus of the group is substantially diminished.
Set ground rules for your meeting and stick to them. As King Arthur knew, meetings at round tables are the most effective because everyone feels equal and a sense of cohesiveness is defined and fostered.
But how many offices have round tables? If the table is oval or rectangular as most are, try to sit opposite the leader or person you want to notice you. And forget everything your mother taught you. Lean in and keep those elbows on the table.
That's important advice at business meals too. Why? Because having your elbows, hands and arms on the table suggests you are engaged and makes you appear physically bigger to the rest of the group. If you sit back in the chair with your hands folded in your lap, you send a message that you're not as confident as you could be or you have nothing to offer.
If you are new to the department or company, delay picking a seat until you understand the power positions that exist within the group. Review notes, admire the artwork or the view, but wait until you see how others establish the pecking order.
In some business cultures the second most powerful place, after the leader, is the seat to the right of the leader. Or sometimes the No. 2 spot is directly across from the leader. (Look at the recent photographs of President-elect Barack Obama with his advisory committee. Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff, is seated directly across from Obama. In comparison, Vice President Dick Cheney usually sits to the right of President Bush.)
Finally, never walk into a meeting unprepared. And the best way to prepare is to prepare answers to every possible question that might come up. That's the fastest way I know to get to the head of the table.
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