Work meetings form an integral part of workplace culture, and it’s almost impossible to go a whole week without attending at least one.
While you may not particularly enjoy meetings (because of how boring, and time-consuming they could be), participating in one is a great way to provide meaningful contributions to the growth of your company, as a result of this giving your peers and superiors a great impression of you.
Here are some tips to help you become a more productive meeting participant.
Get Prepared
It would be best if you didn’t go into a meeting without having an idea of what it’s about. Before attending, ensure you read the agenda and get a clear understanding of the purpose of the meeting and the topic of discussion. Endeavour to write down some ideas and thoughts beforehand too This is to ensure that you can make meaningful contributions, as opposed to looking clueless.
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Put Your Phone Away
The last thing you want is to have everyone in the boardroom, giving you a cold stare because your phone started blaring in the middle of the meeting. Your phone could be a significant distraction, so it’s advisable to put it away or put it in silent or ‘do not disturb’ mode.
Listen
Try to stay mentally present and engaged by listening during work meetings. By listening, you’ll be able to take extensive notes and make contributions based on what other speakers have said. This also helps to avoid asking questions that have already been answered.
Ask Thoughtful & Clarifying Questions
Asking follow-up questions is a great way to show that you are genuinely interested in the conversation enough to seek clarification and insight. It also helps to make the meetings less tense by creating opportunities for more engaging conversations.
Make Meaningful Contributions
Hey, you might be more of a listener than a talker, but it’s still super important to make sure your voice is heard by making contributions. This goes hand in hand with listening because It would be impossible to make thoughtful and meaningful contributions without paying attention in the first place. It’s also essential to go over what you are saying in your head first so that you can be articulate and coherent in your contributions.
Avoid Interrupting Other Speakers
You might be eager and excited to make your contributions, but you should make sure you don’t interrupt your peers or superiors while they are making theirs. Even if you do so innocently, it could rub off on the other speaker in a rude way. If you want to correct or contribute to what someone has said, you can say ‘Excuse me, can I say something?’ or ‘Can I add that…’
Leverage on Your Strengths
If the meeting is about a topic you’re knowledgeable in, you’ll be at an advantage because you’ll be able to provide novel suggestions that will be incredibly valuable in the discussion. For example, if you’ve worked on an AI (Artificial Intelligence) project in the past, you’ll be able to make contributions in a meeting about adopting AI into the business. Also, if you’re a millennial or Gen Z, you can provide an insight into the psychographics of young adults and as a result, provide fresh and unconventional perspectives to your older counterparts.
The key to productive meeting participation is to view every work meeting as an opportunity to learn something new and make valuable contributions. Remember that you are a significant player in your company and your input is essential to its growth and development, as well as yours.
How do you participate in work meetings? Got any tips? Share them with us!
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