If you are asked to chair a meeting， remember the following six golden rules1 for meeting management.

　　1.Always start the meeting on time. If you begin on time， group members who show up late will realize the value of time. Beginning on time reflects skill as an effective time manager and sets a precedent2 for others to follow.

　　2. Assign a note-taker or arrange to have the meeting audiotaped3. You may need to refer back to an issue that was discussed during the meeting at a later date. Good record-keeping is a sign of a good meeting manager as well.

　　3. Learn to listen. So many times we think about what we are going to say and， in the process， block out valid² points that other group members may be contributing. Additionally， we often hear only what we want to hear， rather than really listening to other people. Meetings that are characterized by effective listening are successful meetings.

　　4. Keep the discussion on track4. Many times important issues can get sidetracked in a meeting， especially when everyone has a different opinion about the topic. If you anticipate a conflict prior to5 the meeting， discuss the issue with participants in advance. If an unanticipated6 conflict develops once the meeting is in progress， either appoint a subcommittee7 to look into the problem， or ask participants involved in the conflict to meet with you after the meeting. Doing so will help keep the discussion on track and minimize the chances of wasting participants' valuable time.

　　5. Give everyone an opportunity to be heard. Some people tend to monopolize8 meetings， whereas others wait to be asked their opinions. As the leader of the meeting， you need to keep an open mind and make sure everyone feels welcome to contribute and express ideas without criticism.

　　6. End on time. If you said the meeting would last no longer than one hour， make sure the meeting lasts for only an hour. Meeting participants tend to plan the rest of their day around the time allotted9 for the meeting. Running late with a meeting makes members tardy⁵ for other appointments， increases the chances that members will mentally leave the meeting， and reduces your credibility10 as an effective meeting manager.

　　如果要求你主持一个会议，记住以下有关主持会议的六大准则。

　　1.总要准时开会。如果你准时开始，晚到的与会者会意识到时间的价值。准时开始反映了一位善于掌握时间的人的技巧，也给其他人树立了榜样。

　　2.安排一位会议记录或给会议录音。日后你可能需要参考会议中商讨的某个问题，做好记录也是优秀会议主持人的一个特点。

　　3.学会倾听。常见的是，我们想的是我们将要说些什么，因此就妨碍了听取别的与会者说出的合理论点。再有，我们经常只听我们想要听的，而不是真正地倾听他人的意见。能有效倾听意见的会议是成功的会议。

　　4.让讨论紧扣主题。往往许多重大问题在会议上容易离题，特别是当每位与会者对问题意见不同时。如果会前你已预料到会有冲突发生，那就提前与当事人交换一下意见。如果会议期间有未曾预料到的冲突发生，委派一个小组委员会对出现的问题予以调查，或者请卷入冲突的人员会后与你再谈。这样能够让讨论紧扣主题，并尽可能少浪费与会者的宝贵时间。

　　5.给每位与会者说出自己看法的机会。有些人易于滔滔不绝占据会议的大部分时间，而有些人则等着被别人叫才开口。作为会议主持人，你需要思想开阔，无偏袒之心，确保每位与会者都能感到，表达自己的想法是受欢迎的，不会受到别人非难。

　　6.准时结束会议。如果你说了会议不会超过1小时，那就要保证会议只持续1小时。与会者的日程安排往往会受到会议时间的左右。会议超时会导致他们迟赴别的约会，增加他们心不在焉的可能性，也会降低你作为一位善于主持会议的人的信誉。

　　注释：

　　1.golden rule 指导原则

　　2.precedent¹ n.先例，前例

　　3.audiotape vt.用磁带录音

　　4.keep the discussion ontrack使讨论不离题

　　5.prior to在…以前，先于

　　6.unanticipated adj.未预料到的

　　7.subcommittee n.小组委员会，专门小组

　　8.monopolize³ vt.独占，完全控制

　　9.allot⁴ vt.（为特定用途而）拨出，指定给

　　10.credibility n.可靠性，可信（性）

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