Have you ever been to staff meetings where your efforts to contribute to what is being discussed and be proactive seem to be overlooked?
And wondered, “Why are my ideas
blatantly ignored?”
Well, there are many reasons why
managers and non-managers hear about a new idea, shot it and do nothing about it.
Chances are, they may appreciate the new idea, and not have enough room
to accommodate it at the time you proffered it.
Also, you must understand
that not all ideas are necessarily useful, or great input just because they sound
good in your ears.
That being said,
leadership should create an atmosphere for expression where useful or not useful
ideas can be shared. The reason being that, modelling a culture of inclusion in staff meetings creates
an atmosphere of great thinkers, boost employees’ moods, emotions and overall
outlook to have a positive impact on job performance, decision making,
productivity, return, teamwork, leadership and foster organizational significant
culture.
In this post, I’d share
with you business etiquette insight into including others in a meeting and steps
you can take to contribute your ideas professionally.
Sharing your ideas:
Sometimes the reason why
your ideas are shot down or ignored is that you’re not heard! So, using the
following statements ensures that the person leading a meeting hears subconsciously,
that you’re speaking and may likely think about your ideas.
After sitting through a meeting
for a short time, and taking notes of the things being communicated, ask for
permission to speak if you have a contribution and keep your statement clean.
E.g.:
“May I add to what’s been
said so far?”
“Can I please have a moment
to share an idea?”
“May I say something
there?” OR “Excuse me, Mr. Nelson. I’d like to add that. . .”
Avoid using the statement, which could minimize the value of your initiative and simply state your information.
E.g.: “I was just wondering if perhaps executing project XYZ could be done in a manner. . .” Instead say, “After thoroughly researching Project XYZ, I suggest it should be. . .”
Including others:
As a person leading a
staff meeting, never cut people off when they are proffering an idea. Never shot
down an initiative. Never cut people off when they're expressing their views on
the matter of the meeting.
What should you do? When you hear an idea, be ready to say something
about what you hear the other person say. If it’s possible, try to find something
positive about the idea they are sharing. This shows that you have listened to their information.
For example, you could
say, “That would be effective in improving. . .” Then, add an idea of yours that buttress the person’s
idea and shows that you acknowledge him or her.
Or you could paraphrase
what the employee says with a statement like: “So, what I am hearing you say is.
. .” Then, give the employee a chance to clarify his or her idea if you're not understanding them.
Always get the idea straight. Ask the person questions to clarify the information he or she is imparting to the team to better understand the initiative.
I hope these tips help you to model a culture of inclusion and cultivate a happier workplace successfully.
Do you want me to teach this process to your staff? Send us an email to drsetiquetteconsulting@gmail.com or use the contact form on the home page, and I will respond to you with the needs assessment form to breakdown what you need and lucrative ways to help you achieve your goals.
Please like and share this post. For your business etiquette questions and concerns, hit the comment box below. We'd love to hear from you.
Love & more success, 💗
Your friend and Coach
~ Damilola Ogunremi
P.S. Are you about creating your new business? With my training
course Business Startup Maze to Path, you will easily assess the market,
profitability, financing, legal requirements for your new business, create a
catchy business name, define your vision, create a mission statement, write a
good business plan, create a marketing image, create a marketing message, build a
strong brand identity, learn how to use knowledge management and essential business
etiquette acumen to develop your new business successfully. Hit the contact
page to book a session with me.
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