How to get more confident speaking up in meetings

How to get more confident speaking up in meetings
How to get more confident speaking up in meetings

Meetings are an opportunity to have an impact on ideas in development, but they are also a place where you can display your ignorance in front of a large group. If you’re new in an organization or an introvert who doesn’t like the spotlight, it can be easier to fade into the background and look to have your impact elsewhere. If you’re having trouble mustering the courage to say something, you can prepare yourself to do it successfully:

Listen before you play

  • In jazz improvisation, resist the urge to play a lot of notes and dazzle people with your technical wizardry until you understand what the group is doing
  • Pay attention to what people say and how they say it
  • Your aim when you do contribute in a meeting is to connect to the concerns people have

There is less downside than you fear

  • The fear of speaking out is actually far worse than speaking in a meeting
  • In a meeting, the worst-case scenario is that nobody pays attention at all and they forget you said anything
  • Ask yourself if any comment you have made in the past has ever lowered your esteem for the person you are addressing

Prepare in advance

  • Prepare your initial contributions carefully
  • Look over the agenda in advance and highlight key points you would like to make
  • The preparation you do in advance will help you to say what you want to say briefly and coherently
  • Research on choking under pressure suggests that the amount of information you can hold in your mind goes down as your anxiety about a performance goes up

Don’t overthink it in the moment

  • When the point you want to discuss comes up on the agenda just raise your hand right away
  • The longer you wait, the more anxiety you’re likely to feel
  • Do not give up on saying anything, even if you do not succeed

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