As professionals our task can often be to join a meeting, provide advice and input and then move on. This means having the skill to be able to contribute and to do so with confidence. This can be really difficult especially if there are senior people or stakeholders in the room or just a lot of members of that project that know each other well.
Imagine joining a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street or a morning prayers with the President of the United States. Getting a word in edgewise may be difficult enough never mind making a meaningful contribution. This can be even harder on a phone conference call.
Imagine joining a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street or a morning prayers with the President of the United States. Getting a word in edgewise may be difficult enough never mind making a meaningful contribution. This can be even harder on a phone conference call.
A simple trick is to make sure that you announce yourself at the start in some way that makes it certain the others will at least recognise you. So some pleasantry or comment when you join the meeting gives you credibility. For example, I talked about a recent visit to Japan and the different codes of business conduct there when I was handing out business cards at a meeting in London. One simple way of creating an impact is to stand up or even walk around the room and use a flip chart to illustrate your points. Once you have the floor people will generally listen.
It's also all about having a presence. I recall working on a bond issue that had run into some impasse. A senior partner in the merchant bank joined us to help. He sat quietly a bit away from the table of lawyers andf bankers and listened. Then he moved his chair forward took command of the meeting for ten minutes, sorted out the problem and left. Status helps but developing this ability to contribute is a key attribute for professional people.
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