As an introvert, meetings are not your natural environment, especially ones where it can be almost impossible to find the chance to speak up. This can hold you back in your career because it gives colleagues and managers the impression that you have little to say, while your ideas rarely get taken up because you can’t share them in the right circumstances. So what can you do to ensure you’re getting your voice heard in a meeting?
One thing you can’t do is change your introverted nature, but you can use it to your advantage. Prepare yourself in the right way, by considering the agenda beforehand in quiet and solitude so that you can be ready to speak up with confidence. Instead of trying to hype yourself up with a strong coffee beforehand, opt for a calming camomile tea to soothe your nerves.
In the meeting itself, be ready to speak up early on to build up your confidence. Demonstrate that you’re interested and enthusiastic with the right body language and this will also help you reduce the amount of the stress hormone in your body. If someone wants a decision or answer from you during the meeting, don’t be afraid or ashamed to insist on taking your time to get it right at your own pace.
It might also help to find a definite role for yourself within the meeting to give yourself a reason to have to speak that also plays to your strengths. Introverts are better at finding concrete resolutions and actions from meetings, so volunteer to sum up the actions at the end and you will find yourself playing more and more of a role.
After the meeting, you again have the opportunity to deal with things on your own terms, so don’t miss out on the chance to follow-up on actions and topics on a one-to-one basis. This shouldn’t replace your attempts to make progress on how you perform in the meeting itself, but allows you to lay the groundwork for future meetings.
As an introvert, you may never be a natural performer in scenarios like this, and there will always be extroverted people who will shine more brightly. But with the right preparation and plenty of practice, you don’t need to be a frustrated wallflower any more. You can find more tips and information in this infographic from On Stride Financial to help you be the best you can be in your next big meeting.
What advice do you have on getting your voice heard in a meeting? Tweet us over at @CareerCamel and let us know your tips.
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