Preparing for a meeting: How to master ‘thinking on your feet’

If this sounds even remotely like you, it’s time to man up and step up to the plate… by ‘thinking on your feet’!

Start conditioning yourself and prepare for meeting glory with the following steps:

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Meditate
There are undeniable benefits to meditation; as practiced by monks and masters for centuries. Rather than getting all jittery at the mere mention of your name, get yourself into the right mindset from the onset by:

• Relaxing and freeing your mind
• Thinking positive thoughts about yourself
• Calming every part of your body

Listen, observe and absorb
Taking in your surroundings is essential to becoming spontaneous. Try to listen attentively to the people talking to you to understand them better; observe the context of what they’re saying and try to absorb the relevant points – this will come naturally over time.

Probe
Practice makes perfect but you cannot practice ‘thinking on your feet’ by yourself – you will need some help. However, this won’t work if you simply grab someone and say, “Can we practice this? You ask me and I will try to answer as quickly as possible.” It must be put to the test during natural conversations.

If there is ever anything that you don’t understand, ask if it can be repeated or rephrased to make it more simplified – this will allow you to pinpoint which part of the question requires an answer.

Close your eyes
Closing your eyes amidst mental adversity simply means pausing and recollecting your thoughts to come up with a more concise message. This also frees you of any visual distractions that could potentially prevent your thoughts from flowing more freely – it is also a great way to tell your brain to slow down a little.

Deliver like a boss

If the worst comes to the worst and you feel unable to deliver your message as you would like, it doesn’t hurt to practice in front of the mirror; you can gauge how you will look and sound when you’re talking.

You can also improve further with the following tips:

• Speaking in a strong and calm tone
• Using pauses to elaborate a point or to calm yourself down
• Exuding confidence in your delivery without sounding arrogant
• Using proper eye contact

Be at one with everything
All the steps you have learned can help you during hot seat situations to organise and structure your ideas. Throw out one main idea that best addresses the issue at hand and back it up with supporting details. To avoid overloading your listeners with too much information, don’t go overboard – make it short, sweet and simple.

Being put on the spot doesn’t have to feel like a punishment; make it an opportunity to prove yourself and take control of the situation!

These tips will help you to become an accomplished meeting pro – and an accomplished meeting pro needs a meeting room in London from the accomplished meeting room experts. Call 0800 073 0499 and book your professional environment now!