It’s a classic: the town hall meetings where nobody asks questions. The board meetings where only some people voice their opinion. The company meetings where only few people take part in the conversation. There could be many reasons for this, including corporate culture. Often, the silence is also linked to personal discomfort – speaking up feels awkward. Here’s 5 tips for you to become more assertive and more outspoken during reunions.
- See it as a research project. When something feels uncomfortable, it helps to set up your own ‘research project’ where you try out things, notice the impact and learn from it. By turning the effort into an ‘investigation’, you diminish the discomfort of trials and errors.
- Notice what happens when people speak up. People have their own reasons for feeling uncomfortable speaking up during meetings. Often there is some ‘fear’ of how others will react. Check it out. You can start by observing what happens when other people speak up (with smart or stupid comments) … Very interesting usually!
- Ask clarification or progress questions during meetings. Asking questions is a great way to express oneself during meetings. A good, short question is often much more valuable than the lengthy interventions you’ve heard from others. In addition, it feels more comfortable than making statements…
- Take up a role during meetings. If you have a ‘blockage’ and not a single thought comes up, why not ‘walk in the shoes’ of different constituencies: your own department, clients, suppliers, regulators, … What are the implications for them? What would they say?
- Follow an improv course. Great improvisers are good at thinking on their feet and at reacting with verve. In addition, they encourage their public to see things from new perspectives. Why not follow a course, and read the book ‘getting to yes and’ on the benefits of improvisation in business settings?
Contact us if you want help in for yourself or your teams in developing your inspirational leadership skills.