by Jean Sidden

Created on: November 09, 2009

Excitement and stimulation is not the typical atmosphere of most business meetings. If a meeting yammers along at a snail's pace with no end in sight it can cause deadly lethargy. However, if you have some involvement you may be able to offset the usual attendant boredom.

Whether you are one of the big dogs or merely a small fry, the meeting was scheduled on your calendar with a set timeframe. Most meetings have an agenda giving a rundown of the issues to be discussed. If you have any say over the agenda you might ask that each issue be given a specific block of time to make certain the topic is discussed in a timely manner. The speed and efficiency with which the meeting is conducted will help with the boredom factor.

Remember not to ask questions or make comments that unnecessarily prolong a lengthy discussion. Each agenda item should be examined through discussion that leads to action taken and a deadline for the results of that action. It is well-known that meetings beget more meetings so might as well keep things moving with the knowledge that the information will be revisited at a later date.

If you have any input to the content of the meeting try to make sure there is a meeting packet to be distributed to the participants. Having handouts to follow will give a focus to the attendees' time and help everyone stay awake. If there is a chance of overhead projection this is also a way to add a focal point that will keep people motivated.

If you are an assistant or peripheral small fry, take notes throughout the meeting to keep yourself involved. You may not be the official minutes taker but you can still approach the meeting with that type of task in mind. You may be asked to corroborate a piece of information after the meeting and already have the note taken to back yourself up.

While accepting that your business meeting will possibly be an endless exercise in tedium, you can still prepare yourself with necessary supplies. Take your coffee or tea along, bring a bottle of water and wear lightweight clothing so as the room gets stuffier you don't become more drowsy. Ask if it's acceptable to bring something to eat and pack a little snack to help out when the blood sugar begins to wane.

Getting through a business meeting with your brain still functioning by meeting's end is a matter of survival. Remember to do everything possible to keep the meeting moving along efficiently and accept that time will pass, no matter what. Eventually all meetings come to an end.

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