3 Strategies to Speak Up and Be Heard in Meetings

For too long I didn’t speak up when I wanted to, even though I was in a leadership role in my company, working for industry leaders like Google, Netflix and UnitedHealthcare. I found myself focused too much on people pleasing, worried that I would be judged or that I would rock the boat. Today’s episode gives you three specific tips to help you speak up in meetings, in spite of any doubt you may have.

1. Speak First. You know those few seconds of awkward silence in the beginning of a meeting? Everyone is waiting for someone to go first. Let that be you!

Here are three reasons to speak first: 

1. It shows your leadership. You demonstrate confidence to jump in right away. When you share your great thoughts, people start listening. Especially when it is relevant and makes an impact.
2. You get your thoughts out of the way so you don’t have to worry about several others speaking before you, such that then when it’s your turn, you have nothing unique to add.
3. It reduces anxiety. If you go first, you won’t be worried about what you wanted to say the whole time, allowing you to be present for the meeting and hear what people are contributing.

2. When you want to share your opinion in a way that’s diplomatic and direct, say, “here’s my vote” or “here’s what I think”. Years ago, I was reporting to the president of the company where I worked and one day she surprised me by saying, “Karen, you always come to meetings and ask us what we think. I want to know what you think.” 

It took me aback, but I realized she was right. I rarely offered my opinion because I was afraid my boss wouldn’t approve or think it was any good. This method of interjecting with “here’s my vote” felt really good to me because the sentence prompt alone helped me have a strategy in my toolbox when I needed it. After doing it many times now and seeing my clients use this same strategy, I know it works!

3.How to stop rambling and get to the point. Our tendency to ramble is one of the biggest obstacles to presenting well. As a recovering rambler myself, I get it. It’s hard to stay on point when we have so much to say, or we’re nervous. Sometimes we come across as unfocused without realizing it. Or, we realize it and have a hard time knowing how to get out of it.

How do you fix it? Here are two ways:

1. If you notice yourself doing it and your words are already out there, pause, gather your thoughts and say out loud, “My point is this…” and state your point.
2. If you realize you’re lost, pause, stay silent, gather your thoughts and move on with your point. No one will notice the difference, most likely. Pausing gives the audience a chance to absorb what you said and gives their brains a break.

Some resources for you:

Want to be a clear, compelling and credible communicator? 

Take The Confidence Cocktail Assessment: https://karenlaos.com/confidence-cocktail-fb/

Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: https://karenlaos.lpages.co/words-to-avoid/

Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world’s most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator.

 

Want to see how you score as a confident communicator? 

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