Attending and facilitating meetings are a reality for most people at some point in time. Most people dread meetings in part, because they view meetings as unproductive and a waste of their time. The authors discuss how the use of active listening and responding skills combined with an understanding of basic group dynamics can help facilitators and members alike improve the outcomes and reputation of meetings and other task groups by taking time for people to get to know one another and to establish a climate of trust and purpose.