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Career tip: How to avoid meeting boredom

By Chris Makell

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 30Nov2009 Word count: 478 Viewed: 252 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

At various points during a recent workshop I attended, I began to get a little bored. And what happens when we get bored? We tune out, play games or start to "pick apart" the speaker/presenter. I did the latter. I began noticing how much time she spent on the right side of the room; how lost she'd get in her words; whether I could predict her next comments, etc. In other words, I was missing out on the information she was sharing because I was more caught up in my impression of her and not paying attention. How many times has this happened to you?

Think back to when we were in school. If we got bored with the teacher, we'd notice the hair, the glasses, the shoes, the gestures, etc. Even in the business world, when we're bored we begin looking for holes to poke through an argument and how this person is presenting their point or case, vs. what they're truly trying to say.

So when you feel the distraction to boredom coming on and you start to focus on the impression they're making vs. the content or information they have to share, here are a couple of tips to help you pay attention for the good stuff!

Tip #1 - Remember the reason you're there

Simple, right? Think about why you invested your time, money, emotion or learning right here and now, this will help to shift your focus quickly. Your time and attention are valuable. Remembering why you even engaged in this meeting or gathering to gain something to serve you, will ensure it's not a waste of your time. So re-focus and remind yourself why you're there and it will not only help you get back to the good stuff, but naturally lead you to the second tip!

Tip #2 - Identify the 1-3 key points you want to take away

What was really great about my workshop is that the leader asked each person to identify their intention at the outset. We were to think about what we intended to take away from our 3 days together. When you do this, it gives you an anchor to return to when your mind and attention start to wander. In those moments when you're shifting in your chair and wonder what goodies you'll find on the next break, your ears will pick up on important points that are related to your intention. And good stuff happens...

Long meetings, 2 or 3 day workshops, let's face it, you're going to have some dull and boring moments during your time there. So don't beat yourself up, just recognize that these two tips - simplistic in their approach, yet powerful in the result, can help you ensure that you can shift back and pay attention and still get the good stuff!

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