Speak up!

During the meeting you want to say something. It’s at the tip of your tongue but you hold back from expressing your opinion. You beat yourself up about it afterward but still try to console yourself by thinking that it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Or maybe during a conversation with your boss or another colleague, something comes up that you feel you should give input on, but you decide against it. The reasons you do not speak up may vary from scenario to scenario, but you often if not always shy away from giving your opinion. Does this sound like you?

In my experience, some people have an underlying fear of speaking up or in public forums or meetings because they feel that they may sound silly, or that their contributions would not make sense. Other times, some people reach a point where they feel like their voice at work is of no consequence. This is truly unfortunate because you will become resentful and feel like you do not have a purpose in your organization. I am hoping that if you are someone who is unaccustomed or uncomfortable with speaking up, it is because of the former and not the latter. Regardless of your reasoning however, here are some tips to always make sure that you are heard.

1. Be respectful. We should always be mindful of how we communicate our opinions in the workplace. If you have a burning question or suggestion, think it through before you share, especially if it contradicts what is being discussed. You do not want to belittle the person on the floor, but add your input based on a gap or discrepancy you would have noticed. In those situations it is especially important to contribute, because you do not want the team to suffer and discover it midway through the project, when all you needed to do was say something. However, as the old saying goes, think before you speak.
2. Be prepared to support your stance. When you share your input, remember that the team may not have picked up on what you are now raising. As a result, you must be able to give examples or demonstrate your suggestions effectively so that the team can get on the same page. Bear in mind as well that they may have already considered your suggestion but did not think it would work for the project or it was not a good fit in whatever way, and therefore did not choose to bring it up. However if this happens, do not be disheartened. It is important for you to share your concerns with the team. If your suggestion is an eye-opener, kudos to you. You have helped the team improve its output.
3. Be thoughtful. Sometimes meetings become heated or you just recognize in the moment that you just need to sit and listen. If you find yourself in a situation like that, take note of your concerns and bring them up with the team lead afterward. You do not want to raise an issue at an inappropriate time, even if it is reasonable and will make a difference to what is being discussed. When bringing it up, you can express that you waited until the meeting was over because you wanted to ensure that it was well received. The team lead will more than likely understand and appreciate that you used your emotional intelligence to assess the situation, and that you brought the suggestion.

Speaking up takes guts and takes practice. Use your intuition to assess when to make your suggestions, however more often that not, input from the team is greatly appreciated because it can only improve the output. Hoping this was helpful. May next week be enjoyable and productive!

#PeritusSundays #Perituscanhelp #speakup #goteam