商业公司把会议当做向员工和客户提供信息的一种快速有效的手段。无论是什么行业的企业或单位举办会议，不论筹划次会议的筹划者经验是否丰富，单纯站在举办方的立场与角度上分析，怎样让会议富有成效，都是一个让人费神的主题。那么，如何才能让会议更紧凑，更有效呢？

You should know what ends you want to achieve in a meeting before it starts and prepare for it by reading any papers circulated beforehand, and carefully thinking about what you want to say. This may sound rather boring, but solid preparation is the key to successful meeting. A great deal of time and energy can be wasted through simple lack of planning.

The most important issues are not always given the most time in the general running of meetings. People are often unwilling to discuss important budgetary matters because they do not fully understand them, but everyone becomes an expert when it comes to discussing the color of the new curtains, or what type of coffee to buy! The discussion of such trivial matters as these, therefore, should be saved until the end of the meeting.

During the meeting it is essential to stick to the agenda so as to avoid the common problem of repetition. At the same time you ought to be sensitive to other people’s ideas and feelings. And never lose your temper. Be prepared to accept and complement a suggestion that is contrary to your own ideas if it is an improvement on them; such honesty and flexibility are signs of good leadership and earn respect.

Finally, remember that when a decision is made it is important to act on it and to homour all the commitments you have made in the meeting.

（广州南方医科大学通讯员徐家宝供稿 英语点津 Annabel 编辑）

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