Meetings are a huge part of every busy babes day, so here's some things to STOP doing immediately babe:
- Stop taking notes in meetings! If you are busy playing 'secretary' in the meeting, your colleagues consider you less influential, powerful and engaging. Plus you miss important opportunities to give your opinion. So put the pen down babe.
- Never be late—and get there early enough to grab a good seat. If you’re not one of your boss’s top people, don’t sit right next to them, but find a spot close enough to engage and be noticed.
- Don't touch your mobile. Never check emails or Facebook for Gods sake in a meeting. All it's saying is you cannot focus and you really couldn't care less about this meeting or the people there. And trust me, people notice.
- Be aware of your body language babe. Lean in. Women sometimes come across as unconfident in meetings. One reason for this: they don’t belly up to the table. If you hang back, other participants may not hear you when you speak—or may even ignore your remarks because you don’t seem fully engaged.
- When you do have something to contribute, don’t just blurt it out. Instead, lead into it with some kind of introductory statement. That helps grab people’s attention. Pause a moment before continuing—you want to make sure people are looking your way and know you are about to speak. Otherwise, someone may trample over your idea verbally and you’ll have to start again— awkward babe!
HL x
