How to make your voice heard in meetings
(Without SHOUTING and taking up ALL THE AIRSPACE...)
Hi there and welcome back to Lead with Intention! Today’s newsletter was sparked by a couple of experiences I had this week. So, like any good writer, I’m using real life outrage and frustration and channelling that into something useful for you all ;)
Today’s topic is all about getting your voice heard as an aspiring leader (with hopefully, something to say!)
BUT first… fancy a bit of free coaching on me tonight?
I’m going live on my TikTok channel (@leadwithlouise) at 7:30pm UK time tonight and we’re talking about soft skills (something I’ll cover in more depth here soon as well).
It’s an hour and a half of free advice and coaching, so come along, lurk, comment, ask questions, whatever you want! Mine’s an alcohol free margarita - well it is Thursday…
Ok, here’s what got me so exercised this week and in the paid section, how you can overcome these same challenges to thrive on your own terms as a leader, or leader to be. And make your voice heard.
I was on a group video call this week that really got me thinking about how vital it is to cut through the noise, (ideally in an authentic and non-toxic way), if you want to make your mark on a meeting.
There were quite a few of us on this Zoom call and some of us were newer to this particular group than others. Unfortunately, the facilitator wasn’t super experienced and so this is what happened…
They asked the same people (the few they knew) the questions or to kick off a discussion.
There were also a few people on the call who wanted “airtime” and were determined to ensure they got it! Even if their “contribution” to the discussion was actually some humble (not so humble) bragging on their part…
This left the majority of us wanting to find a way into the conversation and contribute.
Can you picture this meeting? And these people? If so, welcome to corporate life!
The sad fact is that this could have been a stellar meeting for all involved. Instead, the vocal few got the most out of it (selfishly).
This doesn’t a good meeting make. But sometimes, that’s the situation you’re in. And it’s even harder on video than it might be in real life, where I’d always advise taking a central seat at the table, in the midst of the action and “claiming your space”, leaning all the way in and showing people that you are there to add value.
SO, the million dollar question is “Louise, what can I do about this?”
It’s a tough one, but as ever, I come with the goods. So if you’re sick and tired of being overlooked and underrated in meetings, and you’re desperate to have your voice and value heard, read on…