If pace is the secret of a successful meeting … losing step is a surefire way to a meeting’s demise. Try these five pace killers and see for yourself how fast your next meeting nosedives.
1. Show slides or a PowerPoint on one topic and while a frame is up – talk about a different topic. Not only will you kill the pace … but 
people’s brains short circuit first with confusion and then with frustration and anger.
2. Don’t both to set up or test all your technology. Instead grab a donut and coffee off the side tables – you’ll need the sugar rush to your brain when technology glitches come and pace plummets.
3. Start passing out handouts after the meeting starts and make sure you hand out papers yourself … after all the people in the back seat are already sleeping and this is a good chance for the leader to eyeball them back to attention again.
4. Let one or two people dominate the meeting and defend yourself to them. It gives the others a chance to hear what they would never drive to a meeting for and it ensures you’ll get a break from any further invitations in this spot.
5. Talk about your own long string of accomplishments. Make sure you add all the details and you may even want to read out your latest CV to get all the kudos in. If the list runs out too fast tell ‘em about your family’s high IQ and list a few details for each. It’s a great way to personalize any meeting and cut pace from the equation.
These are a few ways to slow pace to a screeching halt so that even a short meeting drags on into the doldrums. Have you seen or tried any other pace killers lately?
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