Nine Things You Can Do in Any Meeting

It’s the end of the year. Things are getting rushed or pushed till next year. There is joy and there is exhaustion. And the meetings still need to happen. To keep you going and to launch you for January, here are nine things you can do in every online meeting now, and in January, to make sure things get done, people stay connected and you get what you need.

01. Turn your camera on and have a normal, unblurred background

I am not a fan of blurred backgrounds. I am always thinking, ‘What are you hiding?’ Now maybe people aren’t as nosy as me, but you want people to be focussed on you. So turn your camera on, angle it so it is slightly above your eye line, have a clear background and smile. It will light up an online meeting.

02. Name everyone you can in the meeting

In a physical meeting you can shake a hand, give a nod, say ‘It’s great to see you’ to each person you choose to. Online you can’t. But you can name each person and make them feel seen. If you name someone, it says: ‘I see you. I know you are here.’ It invites them into potential connection and collaboration. Do it—I dare you—for as many people as you can. It will make such a difference.

03. Smile more than you would and keep your eye on the camera lens

I say this phrase a lot: ‘Sometimes people’s joy is so deep it doesn’t reach their faces.’ I see this on every group call, and often in-person, too. Deep joy is a killer, so bring the shallow joy. Show the joy by smiling. You will be surprised. And smile into the camera eye, where your face is picked up, not the screen. That means you are directly smiling at someone on their laptop. A right smile at the right time can sometimes just be what people need.

04. Start with an outer-layer introduction and keep it short

Your first 30–90 seconds is like the outer wrapping of a chocolate bar. You have to rip off that layer before you get to the good stuff. Your first 30 seconds is the rip off – headline what you are going to say, the problem you are hoping to solve, the points you need to cover. Do it well in 30–90 seconds and it sets the tone and sets the energy. And 38% of what we present is all about energy and tone of voice.

05. Get to the picture bit as quickly as you can

Your audience’s brains need a picture to process what you are saying. Some scientists say 100% of what we take in is processed as picture. Don’t talk about key stakeholders in Q2, talk about potential customers you want to win by the end of June 2025. One is abstract and one is picture. Go for the picture every time.

06. Get to the conversation as quickly as you can

Presenting is great, listening is better. So present the outer layer, present whatever you have been asked to. And where you can, get interaction. Ask for feedback on what has been shared. Ask for people’s opinions and thoughts and name them. If you have ever asked ‘does anyone have any questions?’ you know you will be met with tumbleweed silence. So always name someone when you are having a conversation. There will be one person in that meeting you can call on. Be bold and do it.

07. Get to the playback as quickly as you can

Before trying to fix or disagree, just play back what the person has said. See it like a summary. It says to them, ‘I have heard you’ and it gives them the chance to respond and go deeper. 99% of the time they always go deeper.

08. Have a pen and paper ready to take notes – it looks great AND it keeps you focused

There is nothing that says ‘I am listening’ more than when you get a pen and paper out and say ‘Do you mind if I take notes?’ Try it. It also keeps you awake and allows you to doodle.

09. Allow time to summarise at the end of the meeting what has been said and then say: ‘Is there anything else you want to add?’

It’s really simple but very easy to forget to summarise. And it is easy to assume that everyone has said what they want to say. They may not have. Asking the question, ‘Is there anything else you want to add?’ gives room for that summary. You will be surprised with what people say.

Of these nine, please email me and tell me which ones you already do and which ones you want to pick up. If anyone gets all nine, you get a prize – a copy of my new book The Confident Communicator Blueprint. No joke.