STREET DOGS: How to look smart at meetings
Michel Pireu: Ten things you can do to make yourself look smart in meetings
Adapted from the Cooper Review: Ten things you can do to make yourself look smart in meetings. 1. Draw a Venn diagram. It doesn’t matter if it’s wildly inaccurate, in fact the more inaccurate the better. Even before you put that marker down, your colleagues will begin fighting about what exactly the labels should say, how big the circles should be, etc. 2. Translate percentages into fractions. If someone says "About 25% of all users…." you say, "So about one in four". Everyone will nod in agreement and be impressed with your math skills. 3. At some point, encourage everyone to "take a step back". And, boom, you’ve bought yourself another hour of looking smart. 4. Nod continuously while pretending to take notes. Write down one word from every sentence you hear. 5. Repeat the last thing the engineer said, but very, very slowly. Now his brilliance has been transferred to you. 6. Ask "Will this scale?" No one really knows what that means, but it’s a good catch-all question that generall...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.