Speak Up With Confidence

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

Why speaking up matters at work

What happens when you hold back

• Your ideas go unheardTap to see what this looks likeA good idea nobody hears helps nobody. If you hold back, the room makes its decision without the one thing you knew. You leave the meeting frustrated, and nothing changes.Tap to turn back
• People stop expecting you to contributeTap to see what this looks likeIf you never speak, people quietly stop looking your way. Over time they wonder what you are adding. Silence gets read as having nothing to say, even when it is not true.Tap to turn back
• Problems grow because nobody named themTap to see what this looks likeMost problems are known by someone long before they blow up. If the person who saw it first says nothing, it keeps growing until it is everyone's problem.Tap to turn back
• You bottle it up and then burstTap to see what this looks likeSaying nothing does not make the feeling go away. It builds. Then it comes out at the wrong moment, louder than you meant, and people remember the outburst instead of the point.Tap to turn back
• You give away your standingTap to see what this looks likeAsking can I say something, or waiting to be invited, tells the room you are not sure you belong there. People take you at the value you put on yourself.Tap to turn back

What happens when you speak up

• People trust youTap to see what this looks likeWhen you say what you think, people stop guessing what you really mean. They know where you stand. That is what trust is actually built on.Tap to turn back
• Problems get raised earlyTap to see what this looks likeSmall things named early stay small. A team where people speak up catches things while they are still cheap to fix.Tap to turn back
• You are seen as someone who adds valueTap to see what this looks likeContributing in the room is how people work out what you bring. It does not take much. A clear point once or twice a meeting is enough.Tap to turn back
• You stay calmTap to see what this looks likeNothing builds up, because you deal with it as it comes. You do not spend the evening replaying what you should have said.Tap to turn back
• You are heard without being loudTap to see what this looks likeAssertive is not aggressive. Clear and respectful gets further than forceful, and it does not cost you the relationship afterwards.Tap to turn back

Watch

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Three questions on what you just watched. You can go back and watch it again at any time.

How to say what you need without pushing or holding back

The Assert Approach

7 Tips for speaking up in a meeting

• Lean in, do not sit backPull your chair in so you are against the table, and lean forward a little. Sitting back puts you out of the action before you have said anything.
• Do not ask for permissionSaying can I ask something tells the room you are not sure you are allowed. Assume you are meant to speak, because you are.
• Do not wait for an invitationAlmost nobody will ask for your opinion by name. Listen for someone winding down, and start as they pause.
• Signal that you are coming inLean forward, breathe in so people hear it, and lift one finger. Do all three together and people will look at you and wait.
• Keep it short and clearBoil it down to a couple of sentences and say those. No fillers, no apologising first. Clear and short sounds confident.
• Stay composedIf you find yourself bursting, you waited too long. Say it earlier, before the feeling builds up.
• Keep your eyes up afterwardsDo not drop your eyes to your notes the second you finish. Look at the room and listen to whoever goes next.

Reflection

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