How a Team Meeting could help you Progress in your Career IM HIRED

How a Team Meeting could help you Progress in your Career When you think the meeting is over and someone asks another question When you think the meeting is over and someone asks another question We have all left a team meeting thinking why couldn’t that have been sent in an email? Some offices have a culture of meetings for the sake of meetings. The problem being is it’s easy to tune out when you’re roped into the tenth meeting of the week. However, if you’re looking to progress in your career, those seemingly useless meetings could be your ticket to standing out. So stop doodling or considering what you’re going to eat for lunch and instead focus on getting noticed. Put yourself forward Developing in your career is all about putting yourself forward for additional responsibility and new opportunities. Team meetings are great chance to make people aware you’re open to supporting others or getting involved in an upcoming project. Whilst most people might sit back when the boss asks for volunteers, be the person with your hand in the air. Show you’re eager to impress by putting yourself forward for a new challenge. Listen to Others Active listening is essential for effective communication. You may think that putting all your ideas on the table is the right way to go, but don’t railroad the meeting. Talking over others or not giving them the ability to contribute is simply rude. A team player will encourage others in the team to speak up, not overwhelming those who are less confident. Be part of the discussion Bouncing off ideas with colleagues is one of the main benefits of a team meeting. You may be struggling to find the solution to that tricky problem, so why not open it up to the group for suggestions. This practise works both ways, when others are facing setbacks help them by offering any recommendations. Build on ideas as a team and notice how concepts can snowball into a more advanced final products. Introduce new Ideas Bringing new ideas or ways of working to the forefront may seem like a scary prospect. Companies are always looking for ways to improve their performance or efficiency and a team meeting can be forum to get your opinions raised. Whilst all your ideas may not be taken forward, remember no idea is a bad idea. Think outside the box and present initiatives that could benefit your organisation or team. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Be Prepared Team meetings might be a second thought but put some effort into your pre-meeting preparations and get organised. If you are given an agenda, ensure you have completed any ground work. Consider writing any notes for new ideas or suggestions as a prompt for the meeting. Don’t be the person who is left out the loop. If you’re not sure what the meeting is about, ask the question instead of being caught off guard.