The Directors' Cut: David Taylor demystifies meetings

Treat them as a waste of time and that is what they will become. Use them to pass the time and that is what they will do. Or, use them to better understand your peers and organisation, and to build rapport, and the time will not be wasted. It will be an investment, with some fun thrown in as well.

Besides, playing politics is key to survival and success - politics being just another name for communications. Many people believe that politics is only played by people who have their own agendas. Blow me down with a feather duster - everyone has their own agenda, their own ideas, thoughts, insights, plans and goals. And they will often be different.

So, in meetings, it's interesting and useful to find out what other people's agendas are. How do we do this? It's really, really simple, so cancel that week's applied psychology course you just booked. In short, listen to what others say and observe how they say it.

Some important decisions and directions are taken at meetings (more are made outside, but we are not currently concerned with those). The focus here is on setting agendas, actions and outcomes. We are concerned with the psychology of power in business and company meetings. Much can be learned without others realising that you are learning.

A great deal has been researched and written about behaviour within meetings. Over the last two weeks, several colleagues and I decided to test some of these theories, both in and outside of organisations. These were tried out in meetings of over six people.

Theory: Sit to the right of a right-handed chairperson (or left of a left-handed) if you want to have greatest influence over them.
Reality: It worked almost every time. There seems to be a natural tendency for a chair to confide in or hold separate discussions with the person immediately next to their writing hand.

Theory: Listen to what everyone says and then make your contribution.
Reality: Sadly, don't do this. Neither guinea pig could get a word in edgeways, as without exception people just spoke continuously. You may gain a greater understanding of what people want from the discussion, but you won't get your view across.

Theory: The funniness of jokes is directly proportionate to the seniority of the person telling them.
Reality: Absolutely. When the CEO was present at one meeting, huge silence was afforded him for anything he wanted to say, as if he was the sage of all subjects. When he made a joke everyone laughed. When one of my friends offered a (far wittier) retort, no reaction.

It seems to me that the way to master meetings is to have them sewn up before they happen, and that is more about the psychology of the individuals than the meeting itself. If you have gone to the trouble of speaking with, listening to and persuading, the other attendees before a decision is taken, you will be on a firm footing for anything. How do you do this? Find out what they think and want by listening and asking questions, and make sure your solution fits their need. Simple.

How do you build rapport with people in meetings? There are many ways - eye contact combined with appearing to be interested works a treat (remember you only have to pretend), nodding also helps (but make sure you don't overdo it, and it is timed correctly). But the most powerful method is to mutter "yes" occasionally. If you want to go further, read up about body language.

But if you want to floor a meeting completely, wait until an acronym is mentioned, or some terminology or business process is referred to, that you don't understand. If you do not understand it, chances are neither will anyone else. Then, in a clear, confident but slightly apologetic tone, ask what it means.

This worked brilliantly for me when I was in an organisation and the presenter used the term 'knowledge management' three times in one paragraph. Drawing breath for confidence, I bravely asked what it meant, in this context. There was a long pause, and the answer was given, with a greater sense of certainty than I think it deserved. "The management of knowledge," he said. Silly me.

Finally, the most powerful question to ask in any meeting - "What has to happen for us to succeed/move forward/deliver?" - is brief, business-like and brilliant. Go on, get to that meeting right now, dream of your holidays for 15 minutes and then ask it.