If your last meeting didn’t go quite as planned, don’t let that keep you down. Taking the lead in a team meeting isn’t easy, especially if you’re uncomfortable with public speaking. To help you rock the next meeting, here are tips for female leaders.
Have an Agenda Ready to Go
While there’s something to be said for the adrenaline rush that comes with living in the moment, a business meeting isn’t the right place to experience that feeling. Instead, plan an agenda before the event starts and distribute it to each person who will be there.
Taking this step beforehand will ensure that the meeting maintains focus and covers the main topics. Assign a certain amount of time for each item on the meeting agenda to help it stay on track and not overextend into your busy day.
Get Team Input Before
After sending out the meeting invites to the team, ask for their input. They might have insights on the topics that you want to cover, as well as offering strategies for ways to improve how you lead.
Be open to hearing their feedback about how the last meeting went. Learning from mistakes is the way to grow professionally and personally.
Take a Fresh Approach
If you typically have a traditional style of leadership, then step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Bringing in a guest speaker, for example, can add variety to the meeting.
Another option is to highlight some recent good news about the company or a team win. You might play upbeat music for that part of the meeting and create a clever slideshow to celebrate the achieved goal.
Prepare Yourself for the Meeting
Your mood will set the tone for the meeting. So, try to get a good sleep the night before to feel refreshed and at your best on the big day.
Have a snack before going into the boardroom too. Otherwise, you risk getting hungry during it, and that can make you grumpy. A protein-packed snack like Twin Peaks Protein Puffs tastes good and is low in both carbs and calories. Power through the meeting, feeling full between meals.
Keep Some Time Open
It’s tempting to plan a meeting that jumps from topic to topic, but after a while your team’s attention span reaches its limit. Even the hardest workers can only handle so much information and discussion.
Thus, create some open areas in the meeting that are open. You might use this time to ask if there are any questions or take a five-minute break.
Encourage them to stretch their legs, use the bathroom, or get water, if needed; that break can refresh their minds. Plus, you don’t want to come across as a tyrant!
The dialogue you all have in the boardroom will help to shape your company, so it’s important to maintain focus and address any internal issues, as well as motivate your team. Suggest new projects, set goals, and connect with your employees. Be a female force and own it!
