Penny joined one of our Pilot Peer Groups in 2024. Whilst on the program, she was promoted at work but was feeling worried about how she could show up well in meetings.
Introduction: The Struggle Was Real
I felt that during meetings I didn't give the appearance of confidence or gravitas. This was particularly the case during meetings with external parties. From small things such as, do we shake hands, where do i sit in the room, how do I sit in my chair. Some times I felt like I wasn't contributing much to meetings and I felt others were noticing this.
What Helped Most
During our peer meetings lead by CoMotion I talked through my how I felt during meetings. Surprisingly everyone else felt the same as me. Peers who gave the impression to me of being super confident, great speakers and very capable, also felt like they weren't confident. We were all in the same boat!
The group helped me come up with simple things, for example, for important meetings, discuss where we should sit, who will lead the meeting, and prepare and almost script answers to some questions you know will come up.
What Meetings Feel Like Now
My preparation for meetings has improved, instead of planning 30 mins before I will plan a day or more before. For very important external meetings, I discuss with the internal team who will lead a meeting, who answers which questions and that the chair should direct questions to certain people to make sure the person with the best skills answers.
This has improved my confidence before and during meetings.
Advice for Anyone Feeling the Same
It's likely everyone feels like you, spend time preparing, this will give you confidence to enter the meeting in the best way.
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