Love them or loathe them. Meetings are an everyday part of most workplaces. Highly successful people approach meetings with a strategic mindset. Here are a few tips from the pros to transform your next meeting into a steppingstone for success.

• Be prepared: Don’t be caught off guard. Always come prepared, having done your homework to understand the meeting’s agenda and background information.
• Pay attention: During discussions, pay close attention and employ active listening skills to fully comprehend what’s being communicated.
• Participate! Speak up and ask pertinent questions that can steer the conversation towards productive outcomes.
• Take notes or record meetings, when appropriate, to reference the details later and follow up on action items.