The task of presiding a meeting can be challenging. If you don’t usually do it, you might feel intimated. You know that there are plenty of smart people in the room. You also worry that the issues discussed could get heated. Worse, you couldn’t control the people in the room, and they don’t respect your leadership anymore. It’s easy to feel that way if you’re not confident of yourself. These tips will help boost your confidence level.
Know the topic well
The first thing you have to do is to understand the topic of the meeting. Make sure that you have a strong grasp of every minute detail. When someone asks a question, you will feel confident to respond. Some people at the conference will make you feel like you don’t deserve the leadership post. If you know the issues well, you can respond to anything.
Be friends with the people involved in the meeting
Another strategy to feel confident is by being friends with the people who will join the conversation. The atmosphere will be more relaxing if you have a good personal relationship with them. You might even laugh amid a problematic issue. Set a friendly tone at the commencement of the meeting so the rest won’t be too tough.
Practice speaking alone
You worry that you will commit mistakes along the way. You might also be unclear in presenting your ideas. The best way to solve this problem is by practicing what to say when no one is around. You can also run your presentation with a friend. You still have time to make corrections and improve things before the meeting begins. You can practice answering questions too. Go through your presentation again and think about potential questions.
Prepare the meeting room
An excellent way to be more confident is by seeing the meeting room. Being in the environment makes you more familiar with it. During the actual meeting, you won’t feel strange anymore. You also have time to set up the equipment needed. You can check the sound system if it’s working well. You can adjust the projector if it’s unclear. It helps if you have a projector ceiling mount so that it’s easy to use the meeting room whenever you need it without having to set up everything before each meeting.
Try some meditation techniques
Before you enter the meeting room, you need to calm yourself down. It helps if you practice some meditation techniques. They’re useful in helping you feel relaxed. You will also release negative thoughts and feel excited about what will happen next. You can even lead a small meditation exercise before you start the meeting so that everyone will feel relaxed.
Believe in yourself
You got thrown into a leadership post because of your capabilities. You also proved your worth. You have to think about them before you host the meeting. They’re more than enough to make you feel confident of yourself. You will forget how intense the meeting could be and carry on. You know that things will end well.
