If you’re tired of running meetings that feel like a total waste of time, and you’re ready to make a change, do the three things that I mention in this article. They’ll put you back in control without a doubt.
Step 1: Be Assertive
I’m not talking about being a jerk here. What I’m talking about is letting the people that you’re meeting with know that you’re there for business and that you want to get through everything that you have to present. Small talk is not going to get you very far. There’s no time to waste; the rubber is going to need to hit the road, so instead of delaying the inevitable, jump right into what you have to present and get things going. The productive people in the room will thank you for it, and those are the people you want to interact with anyway.
Step 2: Be Excuseless
There’s nothing worse than a person that’s always blaming everyone else and making up lame excuses as to why something didn’t get done on time. If you failed, admit it and explain what happened, why it happened, and what you’re going to do moving forward, so it doesn’t happen again. The productive people in the room will thank you for explaining what occurred, and will naturally be attracted to you for hitting the issues head-on. Issues are going to happen, especially when you do a lot of business, but it’s how fast you address and correct them that will determine the outcome, so always jump right into action with what you say you’re going to do.
Step 3: Be Confident
No matter what the circumstance or condition, you need to stand tall. Pull those shoulders back, let the people in the room know that you’re standing there in a position of strength, not weakness. Confidence shows through not only in body language, but in your voice inflection as well. Practice in front of the mirror daily and always lock-in that eye contact, so everyone in the room knows you mean business. Your non-verbal queues are just as important as what you say, so if you’re head is nodding no, but you’re verbally saying yes, there’s naturally going to be an issue with people believing in what you’re presenting.