Does speaking up in meetings give you pangs of nervousness and anxiety?
Does speaking up in meetings give you pangs of nervousness and anxiety?
It did for me. Especially early in my career, I was scared to share my thoughts and get it wrong. So I would stay quiet for the entire meeting.
7 years ago, I finally started to speak up in meetings. It was nerve racking…
Eventually, a colleague told me that when I spoke up, I had something meaningful to say and that I was adding more value than I could see by doing it.
That was the first time in my career someone had shared with me the impact of sharing in meetings. It has remained imprinted in my mind and I am forever grateful.
So if you struggle to speak up when it comes to meetings, don’t wait years like me…
Here are some tips to consider in order to break out of it:
1. Prepare for the meeting, jot 1 or 2 questions beforehand
It goes beyond just understanding the agenda items and reading the materials. It's about anticipating questions and coming up with insights or asking further questions to help solve the problem. Before the meeting, jot down one or two questions you will ask during the meeting.
2. During the meeting, look for an opportunity to participate early
I find that when I’m the junior person or not leading in a meeting I tend to go into my shell. Look for an opportunity early on to get involved. This will give you momentum to actively listen and add your views instead of worrying about what you want to say the whole time.
3. For leaders, get opinions from your team first
Team members often first turn to the boss for their opinion. The best leaders I have seen get their team’s opinion first. This democratises the hierarchy and gives a richness to the conversation, leading to better outcomes. Go around the room and ask for opinions, especially those who are quieter or more junior. Sometimes, the person who is the quietest, the person who says the least, are listening the most and have the most value to add.
Thought Provoking Quotes on this week’s topic
Stephen Hawking:
Quiet people have the loudest minds.
Nelson Mandela:
The chief’s job is not to tell people what to do but to form a consensus. Don’t enter the debate too early.
Further resources
If you are looking for more knowledge on this topic:
Empty Seat Judgment
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/04/27/how-to-overcome-common-reasons-for-struggling-to-speak-up-in-meetings/
Other Strategies for speaking up
https://blog.wsb.com/how-to-speak-up-in-meetings-allison-shapira?hs_amp=true
https://thesmartermanager.com/2017/11/speak-up-in-meetings/
Virtual Meetings
https://hbr.org/2021/06/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-speaking-up-in-meetings