How to Pay Attention in Business Meetings

The plain fact is that some business meetings can be very, very boring. It's not uncommon for members of a team or department to zone out through long sessions in a conference room. However, doing so can have a negative impact on your career. With that in mind, there are some ways to better your chances of tuning in at key times during the hum-drum meeting. Some good proactive tactics will help you stay on the same page with those who are presenting important information in meeting sessions.

Steps

1. 
   1
   Get your sleep. Well-rested staff have a better chance of paying attention and really understanding what's going on, and the result can put you further ahead in your professional goals. Think about having a cup of coffee if you think it will help you to really focus in when things are going on in a meeting.
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2. 
   2
   Make a list of your questions prior to the meeting. Taking your comments and questions with you will help you stay involved, which will give you a better chance of keeping your attention focused throughout the entire session.
3. 
   3
   Find a good seat. If there is a kind of "blind spot" in the back of the room, avoid this area and stick to places where you will have a good view of projected screens or focal points and where you can hear what is being said by presenters.
4. 
   4
   Keep the meeting on track with proactive comments and questions. Even if you don't have anything written down for a particular topic, you might be one of those people who rightly observes that a speaker is wandering, getting away from appropriate topics, or taking much too long to get across what he or she has to say. In these instances, you can do yourself and everyone else a favor by helping to focus the meeting, staying engaged and actively interjecting when appropriate.
5. 

   

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   5
   Take notes during the meeting. Writing things down keeps you more engaged, and you'll come away with those choice bits of information that will help provide detail on future events or projects. It might help to file the notes that you take so that you have access to them if there's a scenario where they could come in handy.
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EditTips

• Keep team orientation in mind. It's easy to say that you don't have any role in what's being discussed, but if the meeting includes you, then it probably does have some relation to your job. Paying attention in meetings is part of being more engaged with the other people in your office, and chances are if you have the discipline to focus on what's going on, you'll be better positioned to influence those around you and better informed about upcoming changes or events.