How to Ensure you are Heard in a Team Meeting
Even the most confident of people often have trouble in putting their points across in a team meeting, perhaps because they do not order their thoughts properly, or they are overly critical and alienate the listeners. Sometimes it is simply a matter of too many people wanting to get their points across in a short period of time. However, if you follow some basic tips, you should be able to present your ideas successfully.
Prepare in advance
It isn't always possible, especially if something unexpected comes up during the meeting itself, but if you know you have a point to make, then prepare for it in advance. If you don't particularly like speaking in front of a group of people, you may find that you forget what you wanted to say, so make some notes beforehand. Then you can glance at them if you go blank when it is your turn to speak. No-one will think any the worse of you for having prepared; in fact, they should grateful that you went to so much trouble.
Back your point up with facts
If you have a point that you know may be controversial, do more than make a few notes about what you want to say - get all the facts together. If you need statistics, then you may want to pull together a brief presentation. Even if you don't have time to go through it in the meeting, you can give it to people as a handout. That will make it very hard for anyone to argue with what you have to say. You may also want to draw together some examples from previous projects. If necessary, talk to other colleagues to get their view.
Be sensitive to colleagues' feelings
You may be exceptionally annoyed by something that you think is being done incorrectly, but don't be tempted to call someone out in a team meeting. It will simply make people resent you and you could be viewed as a trouble-maker. If your points cannot avoid criticising another colleague, then arrange a private meeting with your boss. If you are sensitive to your colleagues' feelings and explain your views clearly, your colleagues are far more likely to be willing to listen to what you have to say.
Don't ramble
Nobody likes to listen to people who ramble. That is one reason to make sure you have prepared in advance, so that you can state your case briefly. If you take too long to get your point across, people will stop listening to you and they will certainly resent you for wasting their time. If you don't feel that you have long enough to say what you want to say, then arrange a separate meeting. At the same time, you shouldn't be so brief that your points aren't fully made and your colleagues don't really understand the full situation.
Speak clearly
If you are shy and unconfident when it comes to public speaking, you may find that you are overlooked in team meetings. However, take a deep breath and speak when it is your turn - don't let other people talk over you. If you have prepared in advance and you have notes in front of you, you should be a little more confident than usual, so be firm about having your say. If someone starts to interrupt you, ask them politely to let you finish - you are as entitled to say your piece as anyone else in the room, so don't forget that.
Try and always say something
It can be easier to sit back and let everyone else do the talking. However, unless you really don't have any points, which is unlikely, you should always try and say something relevant in the meeting. Practice will make you much better at expressing yourself and your colleagues will learn that what you have to say is generally worth listening to. On the other hand, make sure you don't say so much that you don't leave your colleagues with enough time to get their points of view across, especially if it isn't relevant.
Team meetings are a perfect opportunity to show that you are a valuable member of the team. Make sure you contribute by putting your points across as competently and succinctly as possible.
