This are very cogent and useful tips. I plan conferences for a living, and one of the building blocks of a large conference is the small team meeting, usually several of them. I spend a fair amount of time in both kinds.

One thing I have noticed in all of these blog posts is a very low level of patience for what the individual deems as “wasted time” in a meeting. Everyone is very clear in their minds about what wastes their time in a meeting, and that usually boils down to being forced to listen someone’s else’s commentary that they deem unworthy. Yet the reality for the person talking is not that they are consciously wasting anyone’s time; they are portioning out priceless drops of their own limited quantity of space-time to share.

I would also add that I cannot count the number of times that words I deemed “wasted breath” in a meeting came back me later with a kind of urgent meaning that made me wish I had paid more freaking attention at the time.

So I guess I would like to see attendees work on shoring up their patience, and stop spending the entire meeting qualifying (usually negatively) each moment as it occurs. The value is not always as apparent as the plate of danishes.