Check out these top tips
If you want to be sure you are heard in meetings, here is how:
Be selective โ Skilled performers know when best to contribute as well as how best to contribute.ย They have a sense of timing that ensures they contribute without being disruptive.
Be concise โ Teams and groups that work well tend to share the distribution of airtime with no one person dominating more than another. A big contributor to this efficiency is the ability to โget inโ to the conversation, say what you need to say and then โget outโ.
Vary your contributions โ The default inputs in meetings fall into a category of behaviour known as Giving Information. This includes making statements of fact and giving an opinion or reasons. Research into effective meetings behaviours has revealed a number of more effective alternatives, some of which are outlined below.
Summarising โ If you donโt have anything to add to the subject under discussion, you can help the entire meeting by summarising key points at regular intervals.ย In studies on skilful behaviours across a range of work situations, summarising regularly shows up as a helpful, yet still relatively uncommon, behaviour.
Labelling โ A behaviour label is a device which announces the behaviour that youโre going to use next.ย For example: โCan I just ask a question?โ, followed by a question, or โIโd like to add some information hereโ, followed by giving information. Labelling helps to command the attention of other people and creates space for you to say your piece.
Shutting Out โ Sometimes, to get into a conversation you have to steal the airtime from another person.ย To start, it may be helpful to use a non-verbal indication that you want to get in to the discussion.ย You can lean forward, indicate with your hand, nod with your head and/or make eye contact with the speaker or the chairperson in a way that communicates โI have something to sayโ.
Building โ This is a behaviour used by the most skilful individuals.ย Building behaviour is defined as โadding to or modifying a proposal or suggestion made by another personโ.ย In a meeting this might sound like: Iโd like to spend some time looking at those figures OR Maybe we could get Sam to talk you through them
React โ Reacting behaviours are the way we let other people know how we respond to what they have said. The two most common reacting behaviours are Supporting and Disagreeing. If you have a low count on both these behaviours you may be what the researchers call a โLow Reactorโ. Such a person can often have a negative or destabilising effect on a group because others find it hard to judge where theyโre coming from. When you like an idea or agree with something someone has said, say so.ย When you arenโt convinced, let people know.ย
Ask questions โ If there was one mantra I would like to resonate around the walls of corporate meeting rooms, itโs this: Give less, Ask more, Ask better. The intent is to help you build your interactions around inquiry.ย Being curious rather than judgmental is one of the most powerful ways to ensure you are heard and to build the relationships that will help you towards success.
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Ally Yates is author of โUtter Confidence: How what you say and do influences your effectiveness in businessโ and an expert on Behaviour Analysis and the interactions that define us. She combines a deep understanding of people and how to achieve results, based on her many yearsโ experience working with large corporate clients around the world.
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