From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy, 2nd Edition

Now, if someone is asking you to sponsor him for a run, something this elaborate would not be necessary, but if you really don't wish to sponsor this person for any reason, take elements from this technique to politely say no. A simple, “Unfortunately, I've already allocated my donations for this year” will suffice.

Meetings

Before any meeting, challenge yourself to determine if your attendance at the meeting is really necessary. Meeting-happy cultures within organizations can develop very quickly and can zap productivity.

If you are the one in charge of calling the meeting, don't have a meeting just for the sake of having a meeting. Make sure that before you ask others to attend, you have a full, substantial agenda, and that you are only inviting those who have a direct concern with the topics being discussed. Be clear and honest about the intention for the meeting so attendees can decide if it's a worthwhile time investment for them to attend.

Schedule an end time and respect it. There are few meetings that require longer than one hour to complete the agenda. If you find meetings are lasting longer, there may be too much focus on doing the work rather than deciding what work needs to be done and then delegating accordingly.

Before you speak at a meeting, jot down a list of the points you would like to make on a piece of paper. That will help you avoid pontificating. It's difficult for people to like you when you're holding up the meeting just to hear yourself talk. Short, sweet, ...