Sometimes the feeling of not being enough can creep into the most self-confident, successful individuals, especially when in the virtual boardroom arena. So for whatever reasons that propel these self-critical thoughts through our experience, they just aren’t a good way to live. But they can help guide you with areas that you can focus on improving to make you a better-rounded and contributing member of the team.
Table of Contents
Start With a Question
If you find that you are getting distracted while people stray off path during a meeting use the pause in active discussion to construct a proper question. Asking a question can seem like it might make you look like you’re stupid and that you don’t know anything, but the truth about a well placed inquiry is that you can help keep conversation flowing, establish your dedication to the project, and help you stay informed about your level of comprehension compared to those on your team.
One of the more straight forward functions of a question during a group discussion is that it can help bring back a dialogue that has shifted off path. Discussions can easily stray aside, and this straying is important for getting to know one another on a more human level. Still though, you have to at times bring the circle of conversation back around again and again to the core.
Don’t Over Think
If you find yourself unable to keep up with the flow of the meeting there could be a chance that it has nothing to do with you not being able to contribute. It is more likely a natural reaction of over thinking. People over think about all sorts of things and sometimes in the meeting area it can be especially counterproductive. We all want to put our best foot forward in front of our peers. Wondering about what we are going to say next, or how we can trump our colleagues to advance our own careers, is not the sort of things that should be on the mind when faced with a work situation.
When it comes time to get down to business the best way to stay to do that is to simply buckle down, keep your nose to the ground, and focus on the task at hand. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes, but over thinking situations can deflate your self-confidence like no other.
Reflect Your Daily Ethic
The way that you function in a business meeting is really only a reflection of how you should function on a daily basis in your career. The more you carry yourself like the person that you want to be, the more that reflection will begin to take shape. Monitoring the distractions that carry your thoughts away from your team’s goal is the first step to being able to swat them away like flies.
The same thing applies with the way that you dress, how you treat your coworkers, and your overall determination and drive to succeed. If it is a part of you on a daily basis then there really is no need to be nervous or self-critical when faced with a group meeting where you are directly addressing projects with your co-workers. Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it does build a better you.
It’s Not About You
A good mantra to repeat when you find yourself getting off track is something along the lines of, “It’s not about me.” If you say this to yourself (internally obviously) you help bring back your own sense of balance. It helps remind you of the real reason that you are present in the situation that you are in. Usually it is to learn, to contribute, or build and develop new projects.
If you are presenting your own pitch to an agent or producer you may be shouting right now, “Well yes it IS all about me.” There is nothing wrong with having a strong sense of passion and a sound self-confidence, but even in regard to presenting your pitch a potential client is more interested about the project or their own acquisition of new resources. It’s all about the client.
Keep Walking The Line
Meandering thoughts can stand in the way of you being the most productive that you can be. Along with grinding your work ethic to a halt, they can even begin to chip away at your ego and leave you feeling like you don’t have anything to contribute or that you are just way out of your league.
When you’re swimming with the big fishes, keeping your thoughts under control and focused on your goals is critical. It’s a continual practice that even the most resound have to return to in order to keep walking the line. Our brains are wildly possible of doing many productive things, but they can also lead us astray if not properly trained.
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