Meetings, whether theyre regularly scheduled routines in your company or now-and-then get-togethers, can be a place for you to gain positive visibility and to showcase your capabilities. Here are three strategies that will help you stand out and shine.

Do your advance work.
In order to make intelligent comments, offer helpful suggestions or ask pertinent questions, you need to know a meetings purpose and topic areas in advance. If you have received a vague notice or agenda, inquire about whats going to be discussed and what are the goals. You can basically say that you want to come ready to contribute.

If its your supervisor or team leader who is calling the staff or group together and has left the focus a bit loose, you might offer to prepare an agenda by saying: This could save time and help the staff / team come prepared and provide useful input. Be seen as someone who knows how to make meetings effective. This ability is a real career asset, especially in team-based organizations.

Polish your act.
Even if the meeting is informal, mentally run through what issues might come up and what you might say. Jot down any remarks you want to make about certain agenda items. In other words, dont just wing it. Rather, come prepared with well-thought-through suggestions and supporting information.

Heres where your observations at prior meetings are critical. Do people speak up freely or wait to be called on by the meeting leader? Are presentations made formally, perhaps by standing at a podium or do people stay seated, interjecting comments when theres an opening? Determine how the most effective members make their points, and how does the leader react to various presentation styles. Use this information as a model for your presentations.

If your meeting is more formal---perhaps, an annual sales conference---its vital to rehearse your presentation several times. Reading a report causes people to lose interest. But that doesnt mean you must memorize the entire thing. Rather, try writing a grabber sentence for your opener and another for a strong ending. Know these two sentences by heart, then condense the rest of your thoughts to an outline, using short trigger phrases. Record your presentation and listen for places where you should change pace, volume or expression. Also, imagine the kinds of questions that may come from the audience and also decide on your possible answers. Preparation is the key.

Follow up and follow through.
What happens after a meeting can be just as important as what takes place during it. Ideas presented must be implemented, decisions carried out. Even as a participant, you can help to ensure that the decisions made become realities. Heres how.

Even if someone else is taking minutes, make brief notes about each agenda item. If youre the leader, prepare and distribute your own summary with a list of who will do what by when. If the leader omits this step, you can volunteer afterward to prepare the summary. Then offer a succinct wrap-up instead of verbatim minutes. Meeting follow ups can give you great opportunities for building a reputation for leadership. You might, for example, offer to present the groups concern for more flexible scheduling to your department head, then follow through in getting a response. Do this in a way that it is not seen as getting brownie points but rather as dependable follow-up.

What happens if you get an idea after the meeting? What you can do is develop a post meeting proposal and have it on the leaders or your bosss desk the next day. Work up a brief outline of the discussed issue and suggestions you have. Include background information, financials, pros and cons and other relevant information. Yes, it may mean burning the midnight oil, but if this is a vital issue, youll be seen as a problem solver and valuable contributor.

If you take an active role before, during, and after meetings, you will demonstrate your ability to get a job done and your willingness to participate in a team effort. As you discover better ways for achieving better meeting results, youll be displaying your leadership talent and youll be seen as a high performing professional.

Marcia Zidle

Marcia Zidle, M.S. N.C.C., the ?people smarts? coach, works with business, government and community leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ? to grow and increase profits. Her services include:

• What Really Works Handbooks ? resources for managers and supervisors on the front line
• Power-by-the-Hour Programs ? fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development
• Your Strategic Partner ? support to leaders who are in positions of high expectations, high visibility and high payoff.

Marcia is founder of Leadership Hooks, a business coaching company, which helps executive teams, operations managers, business owners and agency directors to move their organizations from seat-of-the-pants to feet-on-the-ground leadership.

She brings over 20 years experience from a wide variety of workplace settings, countries, and industries including: health care, financial services, professional practices, automotive and light manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, event management, education, non-profits, local and state government.

Finally, Marcia's ?claim to fame? is experiencing expatriate living with her family in Scandinavia and Australia. She has traveled in over 30 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Far East, and South Pacific. She welcomes invitations to speak internationally so that she can add to her growing list of interesting places to explore.