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You have a chance to shine at meetings, here are examples of some powerful phrases you can use.
What do you do when someone expresses your idea and takes credit for it?
Speak up. Don’t let it pass, and don’t say: “Hey, that was my idea! You stole it!” Instead, say:
"I believe that idea started with a comment I made earlier. I want to elaborate on my thinking."
"That is what I was referring to when I said… I am glad you like my idea, and I like the way you elaborated on it."
Handling interrupters at meetings
If you have the floor and someone interrupts, ask yourself if you are being wordy and trying his or her patience. If not, you can say:
"Excuse me. I wasn’t finished yet."
"I want to hear what you have to say as soon as I am done."
If someone is dominating the discussion, say:
"You have great ideas on the subject. Let’s open the floor up for input from others."
"Since the agenda allows us only another ten minutes on this topic, we need to keep this moving. Please give us the condensed version and allow time for other comments before ending this discussion."
Sometimes you can simply say:
"There is only time for the short version, please."
Encouraging Participation
If you are leading the meeting, one of your responsibilities is to encourage input from members who may not speak without encouragement. Simply say:
"___, what is your opinion on the subject?"
If they do not offer an opinion, it is appropriate to ask again, by saying:
"Your ideas do not need to be polished. We need to know what direction your thinking is taking."
If someone is late, rather than reviewing what he or she missed, tell the offender:
"Be sure to ask someone to catch you up on what was missed later."
Address the issue of ongoing lateness later.
Source: Extracts from the book: “PowerPhrases! The Perfect Words to Say It Right and Get the Results You Want” by Meryl Runion"
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