Do you find it hard to get your point across to those you lead? Find out 5 tips for effective communication during meetings.
Leaders often fall into one of two categories when it comes to communicating in meetings: meticulously thinking through their views and formulating a response before speaking, or using a less structured approach. It’s crucial to keep in mind that virtual brainstorming might be more difficult and create additional challenges for interacting with your staff.
Try these 5 tips for effective communication when you hold meetings.
Highlight your strengths
If you are good at coming up with new ideas, consider holding more brainstorming sessions rather than formal meetings. Take the chance to organise your department around your talents.
You may organise a recurrent monthly brainstorm to get your coworkers in on the activity. Feel free to get tactile; post-it notes can be used to jot down ideas as they come to you. You should also encourage your fellow meeting participants to do the same. Doing your “out loud” thinking on paper can help those participants who don’t like to share their thoughts in public.
Be honest that you are thinking out loud
Being honest about the fact that you’re thinking out loud will signal to others it’s okay for them to do the same. This could look like saying you’re brainstorming out loud to help find a solution, or that you’re speaking in rough draught and welcome your team’s feedback. You can reclaim your power and credibility by considering your options, developing a plan of action, and being open about how you communicate.
Limits your words to communicate
While it may not feel natural at first, intentionally limiting your words can also help during brainstorming sessions by allowing others to see an abbreviated summary of your thought process. You can practise doing this before a meeting to see where you can improve.
Another way to practise “speaking in tweets” is to write out a sentence from a presentation or conversation and see how many words you can omit without losing meaning. Read it aloud a few times. Then, take another sentence and repeat the process
Outline your thoughts and your speech
By incorporating the outline concept into how you share ideas, you can better demonstrate your brainstorming flow. Consider creating a rough outline to emphasise and structure your ideas. If you think visually, try outlining your thoughts on a whiteboard for others to see.
When giving a presentation, it is always a good idea to create and practise with an outline as a best practise. This method can also be used for impromptu speaking. First, slow down and let your words to catch up with your ideas. Then, add the big idea to your outline and share it first. Finally, provide two to three supporting points. You will avoid overloading your coworkers with information if you limit yourself to only sharing the most important aspects.
Set a time limit to share ideas
To keep yourself from rambling, you could pause and ask for feedback on what you’ve said. If you don’t use a timer, keep an eye on your audience to ensure you haven’t lost them. If you’re worried about forgetting where to pause, put it down in your notes. Be sure you’re actually having a conversation.
