Woman explains how anyone can 'professionally' avoid participating in unnecessary meetings

Any individual who lived through the pandemic will know how difficult online meetings can be at times. Moreover, there are many meetings that could just have been an email. In such cases, our minds tend to drift away and we end up not paying attention. Career coach @whatmatterscic recently shared a video on what phrases individuals could say if they felt pressured to say something in a meeting without having anything concrete to add. The short video has become quite popular, gaining 491K views and 181 comments on the social media site. The creator does not waste any time as we see them sitting at their laptop and sharing alternative phrases.

The first one is very straightforward. They say, "Oh, don't worry at all. I'm here to learn." Individuals could alternatively say that they didn't have anything to say that would be of any "value" since the original statement was spot on. They could also speak up and mention how they had "No further comments." Another way is for individuals to volunteer to take down the minutes of the video.

The creator continues providing a few more polite phrases such as, "Nothing from my end," "It's all thumbs up here," and "Nothing further to add." The final one is something most individuals will be familiar with or have already tried out at some point. It involves sharing that they were having issues with their computer for some time and that they would be turning off their camera so others could hear them better.

People on the platform appreciated the suggestions and shared their own thoughts in the comments section. @jaywood890 said, "Shhh!!! Don't let them know our secrets!! I'm just trying to coast this employment thing until retirement!" Wturllum commented, "This is perfect for non-native English speakers working from home." @cleoking6 shared, "Love taking the minutes."

There can be several conversations at work apart from unnecessary meetings and one of them is for individuals when they start a job and get to know their coworkers and the environment. Thankfully, Srinidhi Rajesh—who goes by @sirnidhi.rajesh on TikTok—posted a video here she gave out a few tips for individuals to speed up the process and fit in better. She terms her method as "corporate flirting."

She explained her method through three stages. Rajesh said, "My best friend and I came up with a foolproof way to speak and act with charisma in almost any situation, especially corporate ones." She compares initial interaction with coworkers to a date when people ask questions to break the ice and get to know each other better. Simple questions such as what college they studied will evoke a response that results in an interaction.

Secondly, individuals can continue the conversation with some lighthearted jokes. She highlighted, "Poke fun not at them, but at the surrounding or environment." Rajesh mentioned that the actual term for her method of conversation was "banter" but decided to rename it considering the context. Her final tip was on how people could interact with a mentor. According to her, the best way for such an interaction was to ask for advice or have a straightforward question. Well, it's a comfort knowing the next time we find ourselves in an awkward place professionally we can always fall back on these useful tips.