How to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking Up in Meetings
Conquering the fear of voicing your thoughts in meetings can be a daunting task. Yet, it's a skill that can be honed. Let's delve into strategies that can help you assert your ideas confidently, transforming your participation in meetings forever.
How to speak up during virtual meetings
It’s harder to read physical and social cues
- In-person, it was easier to figure out when voicing your opinion was welcome and appropriate
- If you’re a junior employee or someone who joined the company remotely and are still settling in, you may feel especially reserved around your new teammates or senior colleagues
- Lastly, you might feel your ideas are still half-baked and won’t be seen as valuable
Shift 3: From “I want to sound intelligent” to “This is really about the collective intelligence of my team so we can all succeed.”
Decision-quality is driven by the joint intelligence of the group
- When you speak up, whether it’s based on expertise or experience or just a wild idea, your participation increases collective intelligence and hence the decision-making quality of your team
How to actually speak up
Prepare your nudge
- Rehearse your introduction
- Use the chat functions
- Find your window
- Raise your hand
- Show that you’re engaged
- Non-verbal behaviors make speaking up feel more natural
- Appreciate others’ invitations to contribute
Shift 1: From “My idea may be incomplete” to “It could be the source of someone else’s breakthrough”
Employees refrain from speaking up for various reasons
- Fear being ostracized
- Want to be embarrassed
- Feel like speaking up is inappropriate
- Incomplete ideas related to the meeting’s purpose are not a waste of time
- They may end up helping your team advance from idea to execution
Shift 2: From “It’s probably not my place to speak up” to “Silence is not in the best interest of the team.”
Young people are often reluctant to share ideas because they feel like they are not in a position to do so.
- If you believe you may have an opinion or piece of information that could be material to the success of the project or the organization, say it.
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