8 ways to show speaking skills in a meeting
Careers are
often enhanced, or blunted, in business meetings. Do you sound like someone on
his way up -- or on his way out?
How you come
across as a meeting participant can be pivotal. The skills involved in getting
your point across are not vastly different than those of a keynote speaker
giving a speech to a meeting group.
"Just
because the spotlight isn't shining directly on you doesn't mean that you can't
be seen," says Susanne Gaddis, a Chapel Hill, N.C., speech coach and
communications authority.
Like public
speaking, the art of effective business-meeting communication is very much a
learnable skill. Here are eight important, yet often overlooked, tips on
speaking well as a meeting participant.
1.
Keep it upbeat.
Speech tips and
body language aside, nothing is more critical to constructive give-and-take in
a meeting than emphasizing the upside. Rather than criticizing, stay focused on
the implicit value of what someone else says. It's not just Pollyannish. A
study at the University of Michigan suggests that a preponderance of positive
remarks at business meetings genuinely contributes to successful companies. Try
keeping score between positive comments and those designed more to sting than
support. "Stay solution focused, offering up twice as many positive comments
as you do negative," Gaddis says. "When it's possible, affirm others'
ideas by using active and constructive feedback. For example: 'I really like
Bill's idea on how we can use a different approach when responding to customer
complaints.'"
2.
Talk to the
entire group. We've all been treated like a fifth wheel—being part
of a group, but somehow off the planet when someone is supposedly addressing
everyone in the room. Don't make the same snafu. When speaking in a group, move
your eyes around and talk to anyone who's listening to what you have to say.
"When responding to a question, address the entire group, not just the
person who asked the question," Gaddis says. "In this way, everyone
feels included."
3.
Reach out and
encourage feedback. Another meeting pitfall is that hollow sound of
silence—comments by speakers that disappear over the horizon leaving no
follow-up discussion in their wake. This silence is not golden. So actively
encourage comment and feedback based on what you have to contribute. Not only
does that make for a better meeting, but it can broaden, amplify and
substantiate your remarks. "Get your point across but also open it up for
discussion," says John Baldoni, an Ann Arbor, Mich., consultant and the
author of "Great Communications Secrets of Great Leaders." "Call
on people and ask them what they think. The point is not just to be a
participant, but also a facilitator."
4.
Mirror the
tenor of the meeting. Another business meeting basic is establishing a
comfortable atmosphere where everyone feels at ease. One effective way to
achieve that is to establish a consistency in communication. If, for instance,
most participants are keeping their remarks short, do the same. If their tone
is low and reserved, follow their lead. The point is not to mindlessly mimic
but, rather, to affirm and contribute to the overall tenor of the meeting. And
that makes for productive and efficient give and take. "You can also
mirror other behaviors such as leaning forward, crossing your legs and other
movements," Gaddis says.
5.
Don't be a time
hog. Anyone speaking in a business gathering wants to take enough time to
identify and, if need be, dissect the point he's trying to convey. But it's all
too easy to slip into a filibuster. Gaddis identifies this element as
"conversational balance": Be thorough, but don't take so much time to
get your message across that you lose others' attention or, even worse,
alienate someone who may be waiting his turn to talk. Again, if others are
being succinct, try to do the same. If need be, keep an eye on your watch when
you've got the floor so a comment meant to be short doesn't stretch into a
diatribe.
6.
Check the
cliches and rhetoric. A central tenet of powerful business-meeting
communication is being as clear as possible. Don't muddy your message by
wallowing in tired catch phrases -- just watch for facial tics when you suggest
"pushing the envelope"—or too many rhetorical questions that don't
advance the discussion. "Be particularly careful with negative rhetorical
remarks like 'What were you thinking?'" says Gaddis.
7.
When and if
necessary, take it offline. Not every in-meeting topic warrants brain surgery.
Don't derail meetings or drag them on endlessly by going into detail that can
be addressed at another time. "If you make a point that warrants a lot
more discussion, tell someone that you'll talk about it in greater detail at
some other time," Baldoni says. Or address the issue one-on-one with the
questioner after the meeting.
8.
Be aware of
your body. Not everything you convey to others comes by way of
your mouth. How you say what you say is equally telling in your ability to
share your thoughts with others. Here are a few body language precepts you may
wish to embrace (pun definitely intended): Don't limit supportive interaction
to just what you say. Show it by nodding your head, making eye contact, raising
your eyebrows and making other gestures that demonstrate that your interest and
involvement in the discussion aren't mere lip service.
