Not being heard in meetings is a problem for women
One of the most frequent frustrations I hear from people is that they struggle to be heard in meetings. This isn’t exclusively women, although this is a particular challenge for many women.
Whether you struggle being heard; get frustrated that other people claim your ideas for themselves, or that you feel meetings are a waste of time because you can’t get your ideas across, it would be worthwhile listening to the tips!
Read: Dealing With Fatigue During a Negotiation
Meetings have a bad reputation: they can take too long, are badly run, are a waste of time – and other negative connotations. Yet, if you perform well in them, they are a great opportunity to raise your profile and be noticed by your bosses, decision makers and colleagues. Never a bad thing!
Here are 3 tips to being heard in meetings (and getting noticed)
Preparation:
Take time to read the agenda, work out who is going to be at the meeting and what you need to say. If necessary check with your team to discover the progress on specific projects that are mentioned in the agenda. If you are having a less formal meeting – such as a coffee one to one, find out about the person you are meeting and if necessary confirm what you are going to discuss.
Read: 4 ways to influence meetings and be heard
Keep your posture upright and engaged
Posture:
Make sure you sit up with open body language. If you have your arms folded and legs crossed this will send out negative non-verbal messages to other people in the meeting as well as your voice not being as strong and resonant. Slightly lean in to the table to show you mean business, and have eye contact with others.
Read: 5 body language signals that win trust
Stay calm and confident
Keep your voice calm:
It can be very easy to get frustrated that you are being spoken over, ignored or not being listened to. It is far more effective to maintain a calm, low-pitched (but not low volume) voice where you can assertively contribute to the conversation.
Read: How your voice impacts your Executive Presence
Originally posted in Executive Voice Nov 2016
Are you in Brussels on Tuesday 4th April?
Then join our How to make your presence felt in meetings Workshop
with Dorothy Dalton & Gilly Weinstein
