Becoming a Better Staff Meeting Participant

THE BOTTOM LINE:Arriving prepared, contributing ideas and following up with decisions are the keys to making a staff meeting meaningful, productive and exciting.

"You're upset about having to attend yet another boring staff meeting that is sure to drag on and on. You'd rather stay at your desk and work. The alternative to the boredom and frustration is to learn how you can make the meeting more meaningful, productive and even exciting.

"Meetings can be a place for you to gain positive visibility and to showcase your capabilities," says Marcia Zidle, president of Savvy Insights in Plano,Texas.

BEFORE THE MEETING

"Inquire about what's going to be discussed and what the goals are. This gives a message to the leader that you want to come ready to contribute," says Zidle.

Think about how you can contribute. What important message do you want to get across? This message becomes your mission and your contribution to the meeting. Try to relate it to something on the meeting agenda or some idea that will benefit your company. However, in some cases, it might not be a related topic, but an important message about a community concern or project.

As you think about your message, you'll feel your excitement rising. You already have a different attitude about the meeting because, now, you have a purpose.

BEING PREPARED

Think of your message as a commercial. A 60-second message will be long enough to have impact and short enough to not disrupt the meeting.

"Come prepared with well-thought through suggestions and supporting information. Rehearse your presentation several times," suggests Zidle. "Try writing a grabber sentence for your opener and another for a strong ending. Then condense the rest of your thoughts to an outline using short phrases to trigger your thoughts."

You can tell a short personal story to get your point across, and an appropriate quote will add impact to your message.

DURING THE MEETING

. Get to the meeting early and sit opposite the leader so you can look directly at him or her.

. Stay alert. If you want people to listen to what you have to say, you must be attentive and interested in the meeting's agenda. Sit on the edge of your chair. This will give you more energy and will help you stay alert.

. Take notes. Even if you're not the official note-taker, taking notes will make it easier for you to listen and concentrate on what everyone says.

. Ask questions if you need more information, don't understand something or question the wisdom of a decision.

. Deliver your message. Unless you have planned a certain time in advance with the meeting leader, you'll have to find a suitable moment to contribute your message.

Two possible ways to do that include:

. Answer a question, and then make a smooth transition to your topic. Politicians are experts at this. You can say, "... and that question reminds me of another important issue." Then, state your message.

. Respond to a statement someone else has said with, "That's a very important point, and I would like to make another point about..."

AFTER THE MEETING

"What happens after a meeting can be just as important as what takes place during it," says Zidle. "Ideas presented must be implemented, and decisions carried out. Even as a participant, you can help to ensure that the decisions made become realities. Meeting follow ups can give you great opportunities for building a reputation for leadership."

You might, for example, offer to present the group's concern for more flexible scheduling to your department head, then follow through in getting a response.

If you follow these steps, the meeting leader will know you're not just another participant, but an employee who's genuinely interested in your company.

By Harriet Meyerson, a feature writer for Vitality and president of the Confidence Center in Dallas.

Harriet Meyerson spoke with Marcia Zidle, president of Savvy Insights in Plano, Texas, and a specialist in leadership and workforce development. Zidle can be reached at www.savvyinsights.com.

*Published in VITALITY Magazine, August 2001. Reprinted with permission. VITALITY Magazine is sold by subscription only - both to individuals, and in bulk to companies for their employees. Visit their web to find information on subscribing as well as hundreds of articles on Health, Happiness and Productivity. www.vitality.com