How to Contribute Powerfully in Meetings

Idea

One place to make a positive impact, showcase what you know, and add even more value to the group is during meetings. The good news is that we’re all in plenty of meetings during our working lives, and there is ample opportunity to practice.

So how do you set yourself up to contribute powerfully in those meetings, and really make a difference?

Well, it’s all in the preparation.

It doesn’t need to take a long time, but what counts is that you do the following before each meeting:

• Anticipate the meeting – the purpose, the topic, the participants
• Determine where you can help move the needle – the 1 to 3 aspects where you have knowledge, experience and/or a point of view (including being the newcomer who can look at things with a fresh set of eyes!)
• Package what you know into discrete categories that coincide with these aspects – this makes it easier for you to draw on your knowledge and experience when the time comes. Then, when it’s meeting time, you can stay in the moment, recognize when you can add value, and feel calm knowing that you are prepared to make a positive contribution and impact.

Example

For many years, I was very quiet in meetings at work. One by-product was that I had many opportunities to observe others in action. I marveled at how some colleagues seemed to make a real impact in those meetings while others ranged from appearing bored to clearly overreacting.

It wasn’t until I was asked to speak on a panel that I finally understood how those successful colleagues were able to make an impact in those meetings.

Knowing I would be on stage, it made sense to prepare for my “performance”. In fact, I spent quite some time mulling over the points I wanted to make as a panelist based on the topics I knew would be covered. I even had a chance to try out my answers on an unsuspecting team member or two.

By the time I was on stage, I was prepared. That made it easier to succeed in sounding articulate as well as contributing meaningfully to the discussion.

For me, the big insight was that preparation is key, no matter how big or small the interaction. And by thinking of meetings as “on stage” situations, it became natural for me to do a bit of prep ahead of each meeting.

And the results were significant. I started participating actively, and over time, people would even ask for my opinion. I was finally making an impact.

Remember, it’s the quality of your preparation and not the length of time you spend on it. But there’s a world of difference between zero prep and even just 30 seconds!

Action

Before each meeting you have today, take a few minutes to prepare yourself so you can add value and make an impact. The more senior you become, the more essential this skill becomes.

Here are a series of questions to help you get started:

• What’s the meeting about? What is the purpose and desired outcome of the meeting?
• Who’s going to be there? What are their interests and objectives?
• How do your business area and your area of expertise fit in?
• In what 2-3 ways could you contribute to the meeting?
• Does this likely fit in the early, middle or summarizing part of the meeting?
• What triggers will you look for in order to jump in? When could you shift the topic?