May Busch* says that speaking at meetings can be intimidating, especially if you are the junior person in the room — but there’s no better way for advertising your personal brand.
Think of the last meeting you attended.
To what extent did you make the most of the opportunity to shine? Did you say anything? Were you engaged? What did you convey about your personal brand?
Meetings are like free advertising for your personal brand at work.
Part of capitalising on it is simply showing up and looking interested, but if you’re really going to take advantage of the opportunity, you need to speak up.
For most of us, speaking up in meetings is intimidating, especially when there are important people involved.
The kind of people who have a say in your pay, promotion, and future opportunities.
I know I’ve worried about saying the wrong thing, getting talked over (or worse yet, ignored), and freezing under pressure just to name a few.
Unfortunately, the only way to improve your ability to speak in meetings is to, well, speak in meetings.
Since you won’t improve unless you jump in and practice, let me share five strategies you can use to speak up in your next meeting and make a success of it.
Set an intention:
Instead of leaving things to chance, take five minutes before the meeting to proactively decide how you intend to use the opportunity.
In particular, based on the purpose of the meeting and who’s going to be there, you’ll benefit from making a few decisions.
What you want to say, when it makes sense to make your point, and how you want to say it, helps to land it in the right way.
In essence, it’s a bit of a game plan and a commitment to yourself that you’re going to execute on it.
You could even agree with your manager or team members what you’re planning to say, and get their help in making sure you have an opening to speak.
Practise out loud:
Another key success factor is to practise saying your piece out loud.
In an ideal world, practise it with someone you trust, but it also works if you say it out loud on your own.
It’s important to get comfortable with saying it and hearing what it sounds like out in the ‘real world’ versus in your head.
Practising a few times will make it easier to make your point without hesitation and with confidence while sounding like yourself.
In my case I like to write down a few bullet points as a reminder, but if a script works better for you, by all means write it out.
Hear your voice in the room:
Once you’re in the meeting or on the call, it can feel daunting to execute on your plan.
To de-stress the situation, I like to arrive a little early so I can get familiar with my surroundings and engage in conversations with people as they come in.
Hearing my voice in the room breaks the spell and cuts the tension. It’s as if I’ve already spoken.
If your next meeting happens to be in the boardroom or some other potentially intimidating new space, see if you can take a look at it a day or two beforehand.
Sit at the table and look around. Say a few words to hear how your voice reverberates around the room.
Remember, it’s just a room.
Manage your physical state:
Our physical state affects our mental state so, once the meeting starts, remember to breathe.
I find the most useful breathing pattern is smooth and regular.
This helps regulate your nervous system and improves your ability to feel at ease.
I also like to do something physical like sitting up straight, taking up my space at the table and briefly stretching my arms.
If you are uncomfortable with that, try something a little less obvious, like rolling your shoulders back.
Give yourself permission:
Then, it’s time to execute on your plan.
Frame it as giving yourself permission to experiment, which takes away the pressure of having to say the perfect thing at the perfect time in the perfect way.
This makes it easier to turn your attention to what’s going on in the meeting and to recognising when it’s time to step in and say your piece. Then, go for it.
It’ll be a great learning experience no matter what happens.
These strategies have helped me go from being afraid to say a word to speaking up with confidence.
Whether your next meeting is a low-key team briefing or a high-stakes boardroom discussion, make the most of the opportunity to speak up and contribute.
*May Busch helps leaders and their organisations achieve their full potential. She works with entrepreneurs andmanagements to build their businesses and can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared on May’s blogsite.
