We've all been there: The person leading the meeting rambles on and on, and people doze off, doodle on their notepads or obsess about all the things they could be doing. Nothing gets accomplished and people leave feeling frustrated and cheated.

"There are two ends of the meeting spectrum," says Jessica Lipnack, cofounder of Virtualteams.com, a Boston-based developer of digital collaboration tools for Internet workgroups. "One is the young company, where people have very little experience actually running meetings. I know of many instances where these meetings even consisted of shouting matches. At the other end of the spectrum, you've got the dinosaur people. Their idea of a meeting would put anyone to sleep."

So how can you create a happy medium, especially when you're not the one running the meeting? You need to play an active role in transforming dull meetings into dynamic meetings.

"Recognize the principles of shared responsibility," says Eli Mina, author of The Complete Handbook of Business Meetings. "It is not only up to the manager to make a meeting work. We need to establish a different kind of culture where it's up to every person at the meeting to pull his or her weight to make it work. Until you get away from that, the problem isn't going to get solved."

Here's how you can be a part of the solution:

1. Suggest Agenda Items. When a meeting is scheduled, poll your coworkers on what issues they'd like addressed. Then put together an action list and present it to the meeting's facilitator. Limit the list to those issues that require collective face time. Make it clear that these suggestions are meant to help the facilitator, not undermine his or her authority.

2. Speak Up. Don't let a meeting be monopolized by one or two people, and be sure to contribute. Mina has developed a formula for making suggestions. First, make an observation about the meeting's progress. Something like, "I've noticed that we seem to be repeating ourselves." Second, talk about the impact of that repetition. For example, it's delaying the discussion of other issues. Finally, suggest alternatives, such as allowing five more minutes for discussion before taking a final vote.

3. Think Out of the Box. The reason most meetings put people to sleep is that they're boring and predictable. Mina sometimes asks what he calls strange questions, the questions or points that people don't expect. At first glance they appear crazy, but don't be afraid to suggest them. If nothing else, you'll wake people up.

4. Bring Along Some Goodies. Never underestimate the value of food. If the meeting is scheduled around lunchtime, suggest ordering in sandwiches. If it's late in the afternoon, bring along a bag of candy and a bowl of fruit. "I really believe in Dove bars," says Lipnack with a laugh. "Food makes friends."

5. Request a One-on-One. If all else fails, ask for a one-on-one meeting with the meeting leader. Don't attack with a laundry list of the things done wrong. Start out by complimenting the person on the good things and then share your observations about how the meeting went and how it could go better.