Seven Secrets To Meeting Success (NAPSA)—There are more than 60,000,000 knowledge workers in the United States and they spend more than 8.5 hours per week in meetings. This translates into more than 440 meeting hours per year—a total of 11 weeks. The Problem According to a recent survey by Barco, a leader in wireless collaborative technology, most workersfelt their effectiveness wasaffected by the sheer number of meetings in a day. The study found that while meetings are an essential part of a workplace routine, the implications for the presenter and the effect on the participants of an unsuccessful or unproductive meeting can leadtostress. ‘That maybe one reason the American Institute of Stress said one of the most significant sources of stress in America today is the workplace. In the course of a year, the Institute reported, Americans work almost a month more than the Japanese and three months more than the Germans. This stressor of work is associated with increased rates of heart attacks, hypertension and other disorders. However, the true culprit is lack of You can save time and stress and make money more easily when business meetings run moreefficiently. ple at the back. Big viewsor vistas create distractions. Equidistance between presenter andall participants is important for inclusion. 3. Jazz things up with multimedia. Create a dynamic, engagingpresentation. Keep yourslides minimal. With the right technology, you can increase engagement by making the meeting interactive so more people can share ideas. 4. Start on time, at the right time. It's best to hold meetings early in the day, before people gettired. 5. Keep interruptions to a mini- working. Get there early and make sure everything worksright. mum.Ask people to mute their phones— or to not bring them to the meetingatall. Make sure everyone knows when the meeting starts to reducelate arrival. 6. Be careful with food. Offering food can help ensure a good turnout and keep people happy, butget it out of the wayearly or avoid holding meetings over lunch when people are hungry. 7. Its about you, too. If you're not engaged, your guests won'tbe either. Practice and inject plenty ofpersonality. Makesure everyone can see you and the main screen. If the room is big enough, try walking aroundto interact with peo- For further facts and tips and to see the technology in action, go to www. barco.com/en/clickshare. control in an environment with many demands. Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be. Understandingthestress triggersis the first step in addressing the problem of a “killer” workplace environment. Some Answers ‘The next time you need to conduct a meeting, taking a few simple steps can help: 1.Ensure that the technology is 2.Create the right room setup. Learn More
