Meetings are very much a practice in emotional intelligence and non-verbal communication. As an attendee or the meeting organizer, it is important to practice the four concepts of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Self-awareness: think about how you are presenting yourself in a meeting. What is your body language saying to the organizer? Are your arms crossed? Are you on your phone? Are you making eye-contact and paying attention?
Self-management: Are you able to control your non-verbal cues when attending a meeting? Think about what your facial expressions may be saying to the organizer. Are you rolling your eyes? Are you nodding in agreement? Are your brows furrowed? Are you able to control your verbal responses? Do you interrupt others or ask questions at inappropriate times? Are you late to meetings?
Social Awareness: Are you reading the non-verbal cues of others? Do others seem concerned or excited? Are people engaged and paying attention?
Relationship Management: As the organizer of the meeting you should be thinking ahead about the group dynamics and how you may need to be able to control the flow of the meeting. Are you going to be discussing a topic that has opposing views? Are there certain people in attendance that sometimes cause disruptions or lack social awareness? Do you allow time for questions and clarification?
