Meetings can seem to almost stand still, or things can happen so quickly you don't know what hit you. To make the most of your abilities and get ahead, use a few feng shui tips to help you get the best chi in the room.

Situating yourself in the conference room

1. Always place yourself so you can see the door. If you can get a bit of distance between yourself and the door, so much the better. Being able to see the door usually puts a person at ease, and that makes for good chi.

2. Choose a spot where you won't have a sharp corner pointing in your direction. It doesn't matter if it comes from a table, a desk or the wall. Corners cut off the flow of chi. You'll be surprised to find you won't think as clearly in such a spot. This is also true in your office or cubicle.

3. Don't clutter your space. Bring only what you need to the meeting. Avoid messy stacks and papers, it can stall the chi in your area. It also makes you look unorganized and inefficient to your colleagues.

4. The northwest corner of the room will put you in a position of leadership. Be sure you're facing southeast. This spot helps with organization and planning. You'll be amazed that people will give you more respect, responsibility and authority when you sit in this location. Feng shui assigns this location to the father or oldest man, so you will be the beneficiary of these traditional stereotypes by sitting there. The best time of day for this location is late evening or dusk.

5. To improve your communication, sit in the southeast corner facing northwest. Mid-morning is the most effective time for this location, as is midsummer. It will help you be even more effective at communicating your ideas. This location is also good for promoting harmonious progress and long-term relationships.

6. To motivate and excite the people around you, choose to sit south facing north. This is the Five Element Fire spot, which is assigned to the middle daughter and passion, heat and excitement. Noon or midday is the most effective time to sit in this location.

7. To boost your enthusiasm, sit in the northeast corner facing southwest. This also promotes caution and practicality. It can bring you back to reality (northeast is the direction of earth in the Five Elements). You will cement deeper relationships from this location.

8. Choosing a seat southwest facing northeast is good when you need to resolve conflicts. It supports hard work and is motivating. Sit in this location if you need to find a new direction for a project.

9. If you prefer to be quiet, choose the north side of the table.

10. If there is a choice, choose natural light rather than fluorescent lighting. Natural light helps the chi to flow. It reduces strain on your eyes and keeps people more positive and alert.

As you can see, where you choose to sit can help you accomplish many things in the conference room. Use this to your advantage and you'll soon find yourself climbing the corporate ladder.