Improving meetings isn’t just about inviting the right people and being prepared. You also need to employ empathy, an emotional intelligence competency that can help you better manage discussions. Empathy allows you to read people: Who is supporting whom? Who is coasting? Where is the resistance? Carefully reading people will also help you understand the conflicts in the group so that you can manage the power dynamics. You may think these sorts of politics are unimportant, but power matters — and it plays out in meetings. Learning to read how the flow of power is moving and shifting can help you lead the group. It’s your job to make sure people leave your meeting feeling good about what happened, their contributions, and you as the leader.
Source: HBR
