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It’s Monday, back to the grind, and back to a slew of meetings that will take your entire day! Yet, whether or not you enjoy these work meetings, they do constitute unique opportunities to showcase your talents, and yourself! As much of a hard, resourceful and diligent worker bee as you may be, staying hidden between your three cubicle walls will not make you noticed…at least not as much as when you’re in a meeting room surrounded by VPs, managers, and co-workers from ranks above and below yours. Will the pressure be on? Certainly…but a dear big sister of mine always says that the best results (and the best people) come out of the highest pressure situations…So how do you ensure that not only do you resist the pressure, but you actually use it to your advantage to shine:

• Don’t Let Them See You Sweat! If there ever were an appropriate context for this phrase, it’s certainly now! Squeezed in between the department’s director and the Controller, called on to debrief on the status of your latest project, and having to present both yourself and the project under the best light, talk about feeling the heat! Well, it’s in those high-pressure, high-intensity moments that you can’t let anyone see you sweat! Prepare before-hand, even if you only have but a few minutes before the meeting. How? Jot a few notes down on your notepad,anticipating questions your boss or a prospective customer may ask you, and drawing a quick outline of your response. I like what I call the bullet-point system, where I list at least 3 high points of discussion before entering any meeting. And don’t forget to look the part as well: if you have a few seconds before a meeting, take some time to compose yourself, fix your hair, verify that your clothes are in working order (literally), re-apply a coat of (discrete) lipstick and…get ready to shine!
• Speak Up! Literally! Earlier last year, we wrote a post on why not speaking up may just be your biggest career sin. One of the recurring criticisms I got through most of my professional reviews throughout my entire career is that I could speak up more. As women, and as minorities, we tend to shy away from the spotlight in many circumstances. And this certainly keeps us from many opportunities in the workplace. Have a great idea? Don’t be afraid to present it. Use firm and authoritative language, while still remaining polite and professional. Eliminate phrases like “I think” or “I hope”, which denote uncertainty, instead replacing them with firmer “I anticipate”, “I plan” or “I expect”. And last but not least, speak loud enough for all to hear you!
• Pay Attention to Your Body Language! Do you tend to hunch over at the meeting table? Or do you have a tendency to cross your legs and arms and almost disappear at the confines of the conference room? Well, those are signs of shy people who lack the confidence of their ideas and presence. And that’s the last impression you’d like to give. As hard as it may be, try and remind yourself to sit or stand tall and lean forward.For years, before each meeting, I’ve had to write on a bright yellow Post-It note stuck to my notepad, in bold red letters: SIT UP!; and every time I would unconsciously start crawling under the table, I would look at this Post-It and fix my posture. Elementary? Yes. Effective? Hell yes!  Instead of fixing an invisible point on the opposing wall, make a point to make solid eye contact with people in the room. Even if some avoid looking at you…And please stop hiding those hands under the table, put them on display on the table, thus showcasing not only that perfect nude manicure, but also how much confidence you have!

Is it your time to shine at work meetings?

The Corporate Sister.