Have you ever been in a meeting that felt like a real time-waster? Business leaders share a few unconventional techniques for conducting more effective staff meetings.

That, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Meetings that matter: When former Apple CEO Steve Jobs held meetings, he would not hesitate to ask staff members who were not adding value to the conversation to leave. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos places an empty chair in the room to remind his staff of the omnipresence of clients. These and more CEO meeting techniques, including what Virgin’s Richard Branson and Google’s Larry Page do, are the subject of a story published by the online news site Quartz. What techniques do you use to make your meetings more effective?

The main event: What makes an event experience awesome? Inc.com columnist Kevin Daum says the best events are memorable, meaningful, and positive. Daum offers three steps to take your next association event from good to great: “The awesome experience requires the complete convergence of need, entertainment, and the unexpected, nothing less,” he writes for Inc. “Pursuing the awesome experience doesn’t require lots of money, props, or even other people. It mainly requires a decision on your part to make it happen and then a commitment to execute.”

How not to network: Business writer and stand-up comic Caroline Ceniza-Levine has assembled a list of the worst mistakes people make while networking. Her first suggestion: Don’t go looking for the “right” people. Start off the session by talking with a few people you already know. “Focus on tapping into the network you already have, rather than chasing after more and more new people,” she writes for Forbes. Tip number two: Listen. “You won’t know how to be generous in your follow-up if you’re not listening for what people really care about and need,” she writes. “As a bonus, people so rarely listen that you will distinguish yourself if you listen well.”

What are you reading today? Let us know in the comments.

(Digital Vision/Thinkstock)