How To Speak Confidently In Meetings

How To Speak Confidently In Meetings Another meeting is coming up at work, and youre nervous.Maybe youre shy, introverted, or are coping with social anxiety and the stress it brings. Whatever the case, sitting frozen through yet another meeting can be a terrible feeling.Here are some very simple strategies you can confidently implement at your very next meeting to make speaking up easier.1. Banish Pre-Meeting Jitters.Your hands are shaky. Your stomach is doing somersaults. You suddenly startsecond guessingif you spelled the clients name correctly on the agenda. These are common pre-meeting anxieties. Its muster to experience anticipatory stress when you feel as if your intelligence or contributions are being evaluated.Instead of impugning your jittersas a sign that youre inadequateor otherwise not up to the task at hand, Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal suggestsbefriending your stress response, reframing it as a sign youre ready for action and prepared to bring your best to the (conference) table.2. Ease Into It.It may be tempting to arrive right before a meeting starts to appear prompt or avoid awkward small talk. But if you feel rushed or short on time, this will only exacerbate the existing stress you already feel during meetings.Instead, build in a buffer and plan to settle in before things get underway. Give yourself the opportunity to ease into the physical meeting space. If its a virtual teleconference, get comfortable with the webinar controls, your mic and webcam ahead of time.As colleagues arrive, focus onmaking conversationwith one or two people at a time, which can feel both socially fulfilling and less overwhelming. Youll also already have an in of sorts as the meeting begins and conversation turns towards agenda items. This can help ease anxiety and make speaking up for the duration of the session seamless.3. Commit To Speaking Early.Have you ever come to a meeting with ideas and plan for what you want to say, then left realizing you said not hing the entire time? While youre not alone, staying quiet is doing yourself a disservice. It typically gets more difficult to enter the conversation as a meeting progresses.The longer you wait, the more your anxiety will build.Growth oftencomes from discomfort, so push yourself to speak up early. platzdeckchen a simple strategy to say something in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the sessionwhether its to welcome attendees, present your main argument, ask a question or offer an opinion on a new business proposal. Its a surefire way to ensure you contribute.4. Use Your Strengths When Speaking UpYou dont have to be the loudest in the room. Eventhe soft-spokencan still make an impact by backing up a coworkers comment with a simple, Great idea I can see that working really well.You can also focus on asking powerful questions. Especially if you consider yourselfan introvert, youre likely very observant, which gives you an edge when it comes to posing the kind of thought-provoking questions that havent crossed your colleagues minds quite yet.Another way powerful way to increase your impact and visibility even after the meeting wraps is byfollowing up with an emailto your boss summarizing key points raised, or better yet, providing a proposal for a new project sparked by the conversation. Youll build up a reputation as someone who makes useful contributions and youll come to everyones mind more quickly whenpromotion timecomes around. More importantly, youll gain confidence in yourself.5. Be The One To Take Action on Next Steps.Did something come up in the meeting that could use more research? Commit to taking on something for thenext meeting. It shows you have initiative and that youre interested and invested in your organization.This is a great example of employing apre-commitment device, a habit formation technique you can use to nudge yourself towards behaviors you desire. Youve committed yourselfnow youll be more motivated and likely to follow through.6. Challenge Your Beliefs About Contributing.Many peoples leadership instincts may not have been nurtured to their full potential in childhood, and subconscious insecurities can seep into our behavior to this day when it comes to speaking up. So how do you overcomeold, outdated scriptsholding you back from feeling confident about speaking up? It requires a deep-dive into your presumptions about self-worth and speaking up.Growing up, what were you told about standing out? Were you given the katechese by your parents, teachers, and community thatyou could be whatever you wanted, or did you internalize concepts like, People wont like you if you try to stand out? If you find yourself easily devastated by real or imagined negative feedback should you express your ideas, consider that you may be reverting back to an immature identity when your self-esteem was more contingent on others (especially that of authority figures) opinions.When you have a point to make yet findundermining thoughtscreeping in, thank your inner critic for trying to do its job by keeping you protected. Fear can signal youre saying something of significance. Seize the moment. Stop playing small. Remember, youre part of your organization because youre qualified, youre effective, and you matter.Youve got a lot to offernow its time to let everyone know it.--A version of this article originally appearedon Forbes.Melody Wilding helps ambitious women and female entrepreneurs master their inner psychology for success and happiness. She teaches human behavior at The City University of New York and is a nationally recognized Master Coach who distills psychological insights into actionable career advice. Learn more at melodywilding.com.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women. Join us by reviewing your employer