Do you want to be seen as a confident leader at work?
Many of my clients want to feel and appear more confident in online meetings and want to improve their executive presence, not just in presentations, but in team or client meetings.
Below are top tips for mastering the meeting agenda (critical if you are the meeting leader or facilitator), and creating an executive presence by how you prepare and how you are are seen, heard and deal with conflict.
- Master the Meeting Agenda
- What type of meeting is it?
- Team/staff meeting?
- Client meeting?
- What is the purpose of the meeting? (Share information, seek input, make a decision) Is a meeting the best way to accomplish the purpose?
- What is the agenda to accomplish the purpose? Are team members asked for input to agenda items?
- Is the agenda sent prior to the meeting? Are people assigned to lead each topic?
- Who needs to be at the meeting? Why do they care?
- Who is “in-charge”? Who “owns” the meeting? Who is the facilitator? (Can be rotated)
- How will decisions be made? Consensus? Client? Boss?
- Who is recording decisions/major discussion points/action items and recapping the meeting?
- How will accountability for decisions/actions be established?
- Feedback on the agenda—continuous feedback loop will improve meetings.
- What type of meeting is it?
- Prepare Your Materials & Practice, ideally at least one day prior
- Preparation: 15-30 minutes prior
- Mindset for confidence:
- Power pose, affirmations (“I am smart. I am powerful. I can make a difference.”)
- Review the agenda
- Review portions you will be presenting. Jot down key points to keep yourself on-track.
- Anticipate likely questions or objections and how you will answer them. Practice out loud.
- Make sure your you & your workspace is ready, including getting a glass of water.
- Log on at least 5 minutes early. Test your set up.
- Mindset for confidence:
- How you look—if video on:
- Background: ideally uncluttered and not distracting. Kids, pets, and noise eliminated. Be careful if using virtual backgrounds without a green screen (best not to if weird video effects ensue)
- Lighting: Face well-lit (not backlit)
- Appearance: professional (hair, clothing, makeup).
- Webcam: level with eyes
- Framing: Head and shoulders.
- Eye contact: Look directly into the lens of your webcam when speaking.
- Smile at the start to demonstrate confidence and warmth (unless inappropriate)
- Facial expressions: Keep them pleasant
- Movement: don’t fidget, swivel in your chair, or flash your hands in and out of frame. Don’t take a walk with your video on–moving backgrounds are distracting.
- Posture: don’t slouch or hunch, however bending slightly forward at the hips can make you look more attentive and engaged
- Nod to let people know you are listening
- If you need to temporarily be “out of frame,” turn off your video
- How you sound:
- Speak a little more loudly, as if you are talking in a large conference room (do a sound check prior to the meeting)
- Slow down. Most people speak too quickly. Executives typically speak more slowly.
- Mute yourself when you aren’t speaking (so typing or other background noise isn’t heard)
- Avoid excessive crutch words (uh, you know, like)
- Avoid upspeak (ending declarative sentences with an upward inflection, so they sound like questions)
- Consider an external microphone/headset—sound quality is crucial.
- Dealing with conflict/disagreement:
- Don’t react emotionally, especially in anger in response to something someone said.
- Regain control with tactical breathing, or even just taking one deep breath
- LEAP into conflict resolution
- Listen—Let the other person talk. Ask clarifying questions
- Empathize—let the other person know you know how they feel
- Agree—Find something to agree on—bigger picture, what is in common
- Partner—Move toward working together toward a solution
- What tips would you add?