Jul. 6 Fake It Till You Make It (Without Making Monumental Mistakes): I cut out this article by Lauren Marinigh in Metro on Mar. 23, 2015:
Everyone has heard the saying, “fake it till you make it” – but how do you put those words into action when starting a new job?
Giving off a winning impression is key to driving success in your professional life. However, it can be challenging to do that when you’re trying to figure out your new role, on top of adjusting to a new work environment and new teammates. It’s easy to say “take risks”, but making unnecessary mistakes can have their consequences.
So how do you establish your competence? Read on and find out!
Master the meeting
It can be difficult to give off an aura of confidence when introducing yourself, especially when you are out of your comfort zone. Whether you’re talking to a colleague or a client, you need to make sure that they know you have your role under control.
Start introductions with a smile and firm handshake. Stand up tall, make eye contact, and speak with confidence. Don’t let your nerves take the best of you – and most importantly, never make any promises or state any facts that you don’t know for sure. The best way to handle these situations is to let them know that you will double check for them with a colleague, and follow up with them in a timely manner.
Dress the part
Dress as if you have a meeting with a CEO, even if you’re just heading in for a routine workday. Pick out your favourite blazer, your favourite tie, and accessorize like you’re going to a big business event.
Dressing professionally can help boost your inner confidence and set a tone with others around you. Think about it – are you more likely to trust the advice of someone in jeans and running shoes, or someone dressed like they just came back from a board meeting? Take a look at what senior people are wearing within your company, and mimic their style – as they say, “dress for the part you want, not for the part you have!”
Listen carefully
Spend your first few weeks soaking up information. The more you listen, the more you will get a sense of the company and your role, which in turn will allow you to feel more comfortable and confident going forward. Not to mention that it will show you genuinely want to learn before doing.
When you talk, select moments where you can contribute something solid to the conversation or meeting. Don’t just talk for the sake of talking – people who talk without thinking are less likely to have credibility among their peers.
The bottom line is: Be confident!
Confidence is key – after all, people are unlikely to believe in your skills if you don’t show you believe in them as well.
Be sure your confidence is genuine and humble. It’s very easy to cross that fine line into “arrogance”, which will likely turn off your co-workers. Remember, just because you want to appear capable doesn’t mean you can’t ask for clarification. You never want your confidence to override the need to learn and grow professionally or personally.
Meeting tips: I cut out this article "Avoid confab fatigue with these meeting tips" by Eleni Deacon on Apr. 27, 2015.
Long meetings. Pointless meetings. Boring meetings. Meetings that are actually lectures. Meetings that take you away from your desk for hours of abstract chit-chat when you have a scroll-length to-do list you could be tackling.
Sound familiar?
While group communication is an essential component of effective business, many employees complain that their most lethal productivity killer isn’t social media or noisy colleagues — it’s meetings.
Or rather, meeting after meeting after meeting. There’s a simple way managers can take the weight off meeting overload: Schedule fewer of them.
Meetings should be a time to share updates, get on the same page, and develop actionable strategies.
They should not be a time for long-winded speeches or circular bickering.
Before scheduling a meeting, ask: Why are we doing this and does it require group attendance?
If the answer is vague, hit X on your invite. In many cases, it can be more efficient to contact one person for a direct project update than mobilize an entire team for a not-entirely-necessary gathering.
Another approach is to trade all-staff affairs for speedy, targeted powwows.
While certain types of meetings — strategic planning, client consultations — may require a more substantive time commitment, just-another-day status reports should not dismantle your afternoon.
Try cutting the time you book for meetings in half — you may find you get the same amount done.
Stand-up meetings are also a fail-proof — if intentionally uncomfortable — way to keep meetings from falling flat.
The concept is self-explanatory: These chats are chair-free.
Instead, team members must deliver their debriefs while standing on two feet. Not only does this make it difficult to tune out — it also means everyone wants to finish the process as quickly as possible.
Regardless of the length or frequency of your meet-ups, they should be deliberately planned and efficiently run.
Set an agenda, and delegate one individual to moderate the action. A lot of the frustration surrounding meetings comes not only from the fact of having to be there, but also from the digressive and disorganized way that they’re managed.
Commit to a time frame and keep the discussion on point — this will keep attendees from getting annoyed.
While meetings are obligatory, time-wasting meetings are not.
To curb confab fatigue, set meetings that have clear objectives and on-task leadership. And under no circumstances book a meeting to figure out a time to have another meeting about how to have better meetings.
Aug. 25 My opinion: I had one-on-one meetings and group meetings at my Office Job.
At my restaurant, we have a meeting maybe 1-3 months. It really depends on what it's about and with who. One time we had a meeting with the restaurant and the cooks. Then 2 weeks later we had with only the restaurant.
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