How to Ace Meetings with the Boss

Ever come out of a meeting with the boss feeling like you just got dressed down by the school principal? Hey, you didn't plan to fail... but you probably failed to plan. That's the key theme in Dumb Little Man's 10 Tips for a Successful Meeting with the Boss (which, interestingly, was authored by an obviously not-dumb woman). A sampling:

• Dress to impress - Not much needs to be said about this one except that it is more important than you probably think. Even if the normal dress at your company is fairly casual, step it up a few notches. You want your boss to take notice. You should look better than you do on a regular basis.
• Take notes during the meeting - This shows that you are listening and that you plan to review what was discussed later. It also indicates that you are already considering the follow up that will be done after the meeting. The notes are handy for exactly this reason. You may come out of the meeting with a list of action items that you will need to remember to take care of in the future.
• Show enthusiasm and positivity - Plain and simple. Just like you do for a job interview, put on the shiny-happy hat. Yes, it's true that sometimes you have to address a complaint, and in that case see number 5...