A face-to-face meeting in the conference room down the hall is bad enough. But online or over the phone? Aaargh! You know some of the participants will just log on then keep right on doing something else...finishing that report due at the end of the day, answering e-mails on their Blackberries, texting someone about an after hours get-together. Will they even remember the outcome--or that they agreed to it?

You’ll be held accountable for the results just the same. So how can you better:

• Prepare for an efficient and collaborative meeting?
• Welcome participants into the group as they join the meeting?
• Keep track of what is going on?
• Get meaningful input?
• Collaborate on outcomes?
• Sum up and close the meeting?

• Administrator: Ruth Middleton House