Confident women in meetings: Their ten talents
Gaining confidence in meetings can require a number of steps. However, we'll cover how to gain confidence in meetings in the next article, for now it's important to know exactly what confident women in meetings do, so that you know what you are aiming for by gaining confidence.
1. Confident women in meetings speak out. Why do confident women in meetings speak out? Because confident women have a voice, they have something to say and they want to be heard.
2. Confident women in meetings are also not afraid of being challenged. Confident women in meetings understand that when someone challenges them they do not need to back off, go quiet or change their minds. In fact, confident women in meetings can withstand the challenges and restate their case, stand their ground, and repeat what they have said, without flinching.
If you want to gain confidence in meetings now there are many tips on Rachel's 2 CD set: "Confidence for women at work". Click here to get your copy so you too can be a confident woman.
What else do confident women in meetings do?
Here are a list of 8 more types of confident behaviour in meetings.
3. Confident women in meetings can be heard. Yes! They are loud enough to be heard easily. They do not mumble nor talk quietly for fear of being wrong.
4. Confident women in meetings are willing to raise their voices if this is the only way they can be heard. If other people are talking loudly, if a group of people are talking at the same time, or if there is other noise in the background, confident women are willing to raise their voices to be heard above the din. They may then drop the volume back down once they have gained the attention of the meeting.
5. Confident women in meetings treat others with respect. Self-confidence is not about being arrogant or aggressive. It is about having respect for self and respect for others.
6. Confident women in meetings listen to others. They are willing to pay attention to what other people at the meeting are saying. They are even willing to listen to alternative viewpoints to their own. They do not feel threatened by other people's opinions or ideas.
7. Confident women in meetings are able to interrupt others. They do not sit waiting to be invited to speak nor waiting for a pause. They know that pauses may never happen and are willing to take a chance and jump in uninvited!
8. Confident women in meetings do not take things personally or feel that negativity is personally directed at them or about them. They know that other people get irritated, frustrated and angry about issues raised in meetings and that unkind things may be said. However, they are able to leave these on the meeting table and not take them to heart.
9. Confident women in meetings are willing to promote their ideas, recommendations and work. They can do this without needing to undermine the work of others, or without apologising for talking about themselves.
10. Confident women in meetings leave the meeting with their self-confidence and self-esteem intact.
Watch this video for more ideas on speaking out in a meeting.
How confident are you when you go to a meeting? Would people see you displaying these confident behaviours and think, "Wow, isn't it great having confident women in meetings?"
Gaining confidence has many benefits. Tell us what you've observed about confident women in meetings. Let's keep the list growing so we can all be clear about how to impress, how to be successful and how to be confident women in meetings.
Written by Rachel Green. Professional Speaker | Trainer | Coach | Author.
Rachel is the author of the 2 CD set: "Confidence for women at work". Click here to get your copy so you too can be a confident woman. She also can provide you and your staff with seminars on "Assertion skills", and "Self-confidence at work". Book her now: rachel@confident-woman.com.au
Copyright Confident Woman Australia, 2009.
NB: Any information contained on this site is not provided as an alternative to the obtaining of professional advice from an appropriately qualified practitioner.
Rachel Green
Reader Comments (1)
Had our first 2010 local group community meeting last night. As secretary I had lots of new information to introduce and I felt confident talking to a large group, even though our meetings are run fairly informally. The trick is how to engage people so they're comfortable to make suggestions and give opinions.
Julie Anning Fletcher.