7 Tips To Stand Out At Company Meetings

business meetings

At every company meetings you have two options: stand out or fade into the background. While simply listening and occasionally nodding your head can seem like the safer strategy, this approach is not doing your career any favors.

Next time, instead of dreading your next company meeting, consider it an opportunity to make your mark on the company and advance your career. Meetings are a great place to network and create strong business relationships, so it’s crucial you know how to stand out among your peers. Here are my top seven tips to help you shine at the conference table.

Gain respect

Just as you are judging them, your managers are judging you. Only when you have convinced them you have mastered your brief will they put any weight in your opinion and suggestions.

Adopting the right manner helps. Show your employers your passion for the company goals and encourage those around you to do the same. You want to convince them that you choose to work for them and this is more than just a job.

You must also respect your co-workers even if you don’t like them. Despite not always seeing eye-to-eye with those around you, you must always maintain professional respect for them at meetings and throughout the day. If you don’t respect those around you, you can’t expect them to respect you in return.

Do your homework before you go to the meetings

Broad paperwork can be extensive and difficult to consume. However, it is crucial that these must be digested ahead of time and not merely skim-read. In meetings with large agendas, there is no time to fill everyone in on the back-story. You need to fully prepared and armed with the necessary information so you can zero in on the key points and ask the right questions.

This goes back to the previous point of respect. Directors can easily tell the difference between someone who has revised ahead of time and those who have simply turned up.

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Get to know your co-workers in advance

It’s much easier to make your mark at meetings if you already know those around you and feel comfortable. It’s obviously a good idea to get to know your co-workers socially if you’re going to be around them most days, but regular casual chats are a good way to make your presence known throughout the company.

If you know who is going to be in the meeting, take the time to go over to their desk to casually talk through the agenda in advance and see if you can get a handle of where they want to take the conversation.

respect on meetings

Listen carefully

As well as asking the right questions, listening to all the answers and observing conversations across the table is an extremely valuable skill. At long meetings, it is easy to let your attention wander, but keeping your attention in the room can be achieved with hard work and practice. Good listeners block out distractions and focus on the subject at hand. Remember, you have two ears and one mouth – use them in that proportion.

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Don’t take over

While you want to appear confident and decisive you must remember, you are not there to run the show or order those around you. Instead, you should remain focused on gaining sufficient knowledge to be prepared to challenge decisions and offer a persuasive argument as to why they should be listening to you.

Though you do want to be seen and heard, it is important to let those around you contribute as well. Take a second to ask if this is the best point to interject. On many occasions, it’s much more powerful not to talk and listen to what others have to say.

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Be fearless

The people who most often stand out at the meetings are those who aren’t afraid to challenge the orthodoxy of how things are done. Even if you are not an expert on a particular topic, if there is an issue bothering you it’s important you voice your concerns and coherently argue your opinion. Likewise, don’t be scared to challenge the quality of the information you have at hand.

While extroverts need to make sure they don’t take over meetings, introverts can often struggle to make themselves heard. Don’t be scared to be proven wrong or made to look foolish. It is often those worries that hold people back.

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Follow up

Even if you have presented well at the last meeting and feel fully prepared to do the same in the next, this isn’t where your work finishes. All ideas or suggestions presented at the meeting need to be implemented. Even if this isn’t your responsibility, you should make the necessary follow-ups. Making an extra effort to follow up on notes from the meeting with your management shows initiative and places you in a good light.