Revealing Secrets From Experts On How Can You Be Visible In Meetings
Do you find yourself shy from speaking up in a meeting? Do you shield from attention and prefer being quiet? This is quite a common issue – particularly in women. According to surveys and reports, 75% of the speaking is done by men. But why is that?
I’m sure we have plenty of ideas, opinions, and suggestions to deliver, isn’t it? Then why hesitate? If you look at history, we would understand women have always been expected to remain silent until recently.
I too have been in such situations wherein I doubted myself. Would my ideas sound meaningful? Will it add any value to the meeting? Will I make a fool of myself? Such thoughts initially lingered in my head.
That’s when I knew I had to take a step forward – not worrying about the results. It is essential to be confident and speak up. Without having to pause or ponder before voicing out our opinions.
Here are 3 ways you can be visible in meetings and speak up.
1. Pack That Punch
The next time you have a plan to propose, get to the point directly. We as women tend to use a lot of words to explain our ideas. This might put off the audience quickly (even if it is one). Do not distract others instead directly explain your ideas. In the end, do not forget to ask others for their opinions on the same. This way no one will see you as bossy.
2. Do Not Give Up
There will be someone (usually a male) trying to interrupt your conversation. However, do not back off. Never allow others to cut you off. Instead, politely interrupt them back again and say something like, “I see this is a subject of your liking but I would like to further describe the goal of my idea”. Tactfully, get your game back. Show others that you are not the ones to be grounded.
3. Take Credit
Men have a pesky irritating habit which is usually claiming others ideas to be theirs. This now has a name to it: “Bropriating”. If someone does that in a meeting, make sure that you speak up and thank that person. Then go ahead and state, “I would like to point out a couple of things that have changed since I first told you about it”. This is the most polite and graceful way to showcase the true source of the idea.
Though we as women are capable of doing amazing things, it is equally important to showcase our skills in meetings. We can do amazing things privately. However, our knowledge, confidence and attitude are all measured during meetings. And who doesn’t appreciate valuable input? Even if your idea may not be the best, voice it out. It’s even worse to not try. When our opinions are taken into consideration, we feel motivated and encouraged to be more present and visible during meetings.