Making Meetings Matter More
Sure, we’ve all at some point muttered: “This could’ve been an email” - but meetings are a crucial part of most professional lives.
Whether they’re useful to you is one thing. It’s time to start thinking strategically as to how to make meetings useful FOR you. Getting yourself heard and noticed (and, hopefully, your contributions accepted) is a career-ladder game-changer.
So much of it is about having the confidence to voice an opinion on the matter in hand. Here’s four tips to help you make the most of the group talk-time.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Before a meeting, take time to understand the agenda and jot down your ideas. Put your thoughts on paper and you’ll deliver them a lot more clearly and decisively in front of the room.
Listen. Really pay attention to others in the meeting - aka ‘listen like a thief’, as we say in Improv World. It shows respect for team members, keeps your contribution on track and helps avoid misunderstandings.
Use diplomatic tactics. Try to acknowledge what’s been said (“I hear you” or “That’s a good point” goes a long way). Then try to add to that with a ‘Yes, and…’ rather than a ‘Yes, but…’. so as to keep things moving in the right direction.
Be aware of your body language. Maintain eye contact, sit up straight, use open gestures. If you’ve rehearsed enough beforehand, your voice shouldn’t wobble, either. Positive body language makes your point more persuasive.
Finally, have Steve Jobs in your head! He said: “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people”. Your ideas and perspective matters.
Check out The Quiet Journal by Susan Cain and How to speak up in a meeting, and when to hold back by Allison Shapira.
Ask yourself: “What can I do to make sure that my voice is heard in my next meeting - while still hitting the status quo?” Good luck!