Do Business Well

At most meetings you will be a participant rather than an official. How can you be a more effective contributor? Here are eight basic techniques:

1. Prepare yourself

Diarise the date, time and venue. Arrive for the meeting in time to choose a power seat — right next to or opposite the chairperson. In this way you will have direct eye contact with all the members.

Prepare thoroughly for your meetings by taking time to read the relevant documentation, the agenda and the pre-planner.

Do background research so that you can make points and ask questions. Anticipate likely questions. Be aware of the personality types of other participants.

Think about likely coalitions that may be formed. Will they block or support your ideas? People threatened by your proposals will oppose you. How do you plan to win the negative ones over to your point to view?

2. Listen actively

Listen carefully to what others have to say in order to assess the general feeling before you make your point.

Identify the hidden agendas. Who has a particular axe to grind? Who always rides the same hobby-horse? What are the pet peeves? Who is competing with whom for resources, status, position or power?

3. Speak up

You will not be heard unless you speak up. If I find a meeting nerve- racking, I force myself to speak up very early in the proceedings before I become too intimidated to utter a word.

If you don’t yet have anything to say, ask a sensible question. This is an innocuous but effective technique which is guaranteed to get you over your stage fright.

When you give information, speak clearly and loudly so that everyone can hear you. Sit up straight and make eye contact with the whole group. Don’t go on for too long otherwise others will lose interest in your contribution.

4. Get to the point

Make notes and use them for guidance so that you can make your point concisely.

Where possible highlight and refute the negative ideas that you expect other participants to raise during your presentation.

Don’t be afraid to touch on those hidden agendas when you do your presentation. For instance, say: “We all realise that this is the thing that Jeanne is most concerned about …” or, “We appreciate all that Bill has already done in this area but …” Allay fears and stroke egos. If you are making a formal proposal for action, introduce it by saying, “I move that …” Keep your proposal brief and concise.

5. Support others

Create alliances and build bridges where possible. Invest in a colleague by supporting his or her proposal wherever practicable. Bank a favour on his or her behalf and you will receive it back with interest in due time.

Use phrases like: “In agreement with Mary’s point, I think …” or “Building on Joe’s very useful idea, I suggest …”

Acknowledge and affirm others. Make them look good too.

6. Oppose where necessary

Yes-women go unnoticed. Those who are unafraid to state their convictions are noticed. Don’t go with the flow if you do not agree with an idea. The most positive contributions that I have ever made are those where, for very sound reasons, I have strongly opposed proposals.

Differences of opinion in a group can be creative and productive. They are the very stuff that new ideas are made of. Remain polite. Act with grace and calmly address your objections to the chairperson and not to your opponent. But be careful of people who use this style all the time. They’re out to get their own way.

Here are some tactful (and sneaky?) ways to kill an idea. If you use them, be prepared for others to use them too — against you!

• Point out the lack of resources and economic constraints.
• Suggest that the idea is not really serious or practical.
• Defer its discussion to another meeting.
• Suggest that the proposer should implement the plan.
• Identify a similarity to another idea.
• Hint that the proposed idea has been tried before and doesn’t work.
• Suggest amendments so that the idea is modified beyond recognition.

7. Find a compromise

Show a clear understanding of the purpose of the discussion. Adopt a constructive attitude towards the other members of the group.

Give in on small issues. A compromise often represents the best thinking of the whole group.

Be ready to modify your opinion or discard it if is inadequate or ill- informed. Think of what is best for your organisation rather than what is best for you.

Finding a compromise will make people more co-operative and more motivated to co-operate with you when it really counts.

8. Be courteous

Be dignified, polite and calm. Address your comments to the chair. Be tactful. Don’t make other people lose face even when you are disagreeing with them or pointing out that they are wrong.

Resist the temptation to get personal. If you don’t obey the rules of courtesy, you deserve to be labelled as arrogant, aggressive or just a plain bore.

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