How can I, as a Slow Thinker, Appear More Active in a Meeting?
By: Reul Ghorm
Tags: Personal Development, Self Improvement, Business, Advice, Meetings

I’m a slow thinker and introvert. I usually think carefully about a problem before I come up with a solution. People who know me appreciate this very much.

However, sometimes I feel a bit uncomfortable in meetings, because I’m too thoughtful to come up with quick answers and suggestions. I carefully listen to the others, but I often do not participate actively in the conversation.

What can I do to prevent that other people, who don’t know me good enough, assess me to be less clever and engaged as I actually am?

Prepare beforehand. Think about issues that might/will be discussed and how you might respond to them¹.

Good preparation has always been my secret weapon. A warm-up phase just before the meeting will make your thoughts flow more easily. Maybe you’ll even do a little research so that you can provide the others with the latest facts!

Have a couple [of] questions ready to go²

With this you can collect many bonus points. Your questions show that you don’t want to put yourself in the center of attention, but rather are really interested in the success of the thing. Asking questions shows that you don’t have a preconceived opinion, but want to let others have their say.

Take notes with pen and paper during the meeting³

With this, you show your seriousness. The meeting is not a waste of time for you. Instead, you will follow up the discussed topics and put them into practice.

Active listening is a good technique⁴

My personal secret tip: You can forget all other points if you are a good listener. Your colleagues will appreciate it if you take them seriously and let them finish. This is not so common these days. If your colleagues feel respected by you, they will also respect you, you don’t have to talk much for that.

Speak up or reflect back what the other person said⁵

Formulate a proposal, that has just been made, in your own words. The other person can then clarify and complete her or his proposal. In any case, you are contributing to the quality and depth of the discussion. The colleagues have to react to you when you take up their suggestions. In doing so, you force them to back up their statements with further arguments.

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Don’t be afraid to recommend some solutions before they are fully baked…that’s what the others are doing⁶

You can make a suggestion even if you have not thought about it thoroughly. The advantage is that you can think about it together as a team and discuss the proposal from different viewpoints. In the end, your team will achieve better results and you will remain the creator of your idea!

Look for issues that need to be adressed and bring those up⁷

What problems could possibly arise, which questions should be clarified, which aspects should be reconsidered? You do not need to know all the answers. It is just as important for the success of a project to know the right questions.

Do a summary at the end²

After the discussion has gone in various directions, you can re-establish a common position at the end of the meeting. This makes the benefits and the value of the meeting clearer to everyone.