When most of us head into a meeting, we bring our smartphones and laptops along. We do this under the premise of taking notes and staying organized, but most of us are really just using our gadgets as distractions from what is usually a boring meeting. But it's this distraction that is getting in the way of making a meeting truly productive.
Anything with a screen is inevitably going to take your attention away from whatever else is happening in the room. Even if the rest of your coworkers are bringing their laptops to meetings, you can standout by being completely alert.
By not bringing your laptop to a meeting, you are ensuring that when people are speaking to you, they are really looking at you. If everyone else in the room has their laptops opening, the speaker will automatically focus on you since he/she are actually able to make eye contact. It is certainly not a terrible way to get noticed at work.
Since you'll be the one actually paying attention in said meeting, you'll be better able to notice when the meeting starts to veer off track. If you do notice this happening, speak up and remind everyone what's on the agenda. And, make sure to bring a notepad so you are still able to take notes.
