In my Show Up or Step Out blog post, I talked about the importance of “showing up” at work. And no, we’re not talking about simply being in attendance here.

Showing up is creating a space for people to recognize that you’re in the room and have value to bring to the table.

These days, when we’re all working remotely, it can be easy to attend meetings without actively participating. If you’re finding that this is more than 20% of your time (following the 80/20 rule), then it may be time to question whether it’s the best use of your time.

Treat every meeting like an interview because it’s an opportunity to prove your value.

what some wise folks told me

For those of you who may not know where to start, here are a few ways you can show up at work:

Turn on your camera

It’s so easy to keep your camera off these days, but avoid it if you can! Remember back when we were in the office and we had to see each other face to face? Why should we change that now?

Unless you’ve got really bad connection or it’s that one off day, turn on that camera! It’s more engaging for your counterparts, and makes it easier to build a personal connection.

Also, don’t you find it is way less awkward to speak to someone instead of a blank screen?

Take notes and share it out

If you feel like you aren’t at a place where you can actively participate in the discussion yet, take the initiative recap the key takeaways and send them out.

You’d be surprised how many topics and actions get discussed but not followed up on.

Summarizing the conversation and next steps can be very helpful for the meeting attendees so they know when and what to follow up on next.

Speak up once per meeting

When I was an intern, one of my team members told me to make it a goal to speak up at least once per meeting.

This was great advice because it didn’t seem too daunting, but it still pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It also encouraged me to listen more carefully to develop context and understanding.

After some practice, it got easier to raise my hand in meetings, and I still try to do this today.

Key Takeaways

• Show up and make yourself an active or engaged participant
• Turn on your camera to make your meetings more personal
• Take notes and summarize key takeaways to make your meetings more effective
• Set the goal to speak up at least once per meeting and keep practicing