Team Meetings
Strategies to be heard in meetings:
 Sit near the center of the table. It’s easier to be
left out of the conversations if you’re sitting at the
end of the table. Positioning yourself near the center
not only puts you in the middle of the conversation
flow, but also subliminally reinforces that you’re
central to the discussion at hand.
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies to be heard in meetings:
 Jump into the conversation –
tactfully. Usually, when we talk one-on-one or with
a small group of our peers, we wait for a pause in
conversation that indicates it’s our turn to talk. In a
business meeting with a lot of opinionated
colleagues, these pauses can be hard to come by.
Interrupting is an art. You’ll seem less rude if you
first restate (“If I hear you correctly, you’re saying
X”) or react (“I like Tom’s suggestion and would also
recommend we do X”) to what others have said first.
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies to be heard in meetings:
 Speak confidently. The more you sound like you
believe in your ideas, the more others are likely to
listen. Practice talking about your ideas without
saying phrases like “I think,” “in my opinion,” “this
could just be me” and “this might not be a good idea,
but….” These phrases sound like you doubt your
opinions and leave the door open for others in the
meeting to do the same.
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies to be heard in meetings:
 Watch your body language. Observe the body
language of your other colleagues in the room –
particularly the ones who speak up frequently and
hold others’ attention. Are they sitting up straight in
their chairs, leaning forward into the conversation,
using hand gestures to indicate when they have a
point to add, etc.? Mimic them when it’s your turn to
speak, and avoid slouching, shifting in your seat or
fidgeting.
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies to be heard in meetings:
 Don’t let yourself be interrupted. When you
finally have everybody’s hard-won attention, hold
the floor until you’re done articulating your
comments. If others try to interrupt you, it’s fine to
politely say something like “please allow me to finish
my thought,” “I’d just like to add before we move
forward that X” or “I’d love to hear your feedback,
but wanted to finish saying one thing first.”
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies that don’t work:
 Rapid-fire ideas. Don’t pause to see if any of them
are catching on — just keep going, guns a-blazin’.
This is the Rambo approach, akin to Sylvester
Stallone armed with the biggest-gun-you-ever-saw
delivering a one-man barrage of shock and awe.
Carried into work, it suggests that if you just fire off
enough ideas, at least one will hit the mark.
http://www.goodwill.org/blog/career-and-financial-advice/speak-up-five-tips-to-make-yourself-heard-in-meetings/
Strategies that don’t work:
 Be super-friendly. Recognizing that trust and
camaraderie can help get your ideas a moment of
consideration, you work the relationships. The
problem is that the focus is on the personal
relationship, rather than the merit of the idea.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies that don’t work:
 Hijack the discussion. Just as someone else is putting
forth an idea, use a contradictory word or phrase, such as
“but,” “no”, or “I disagree.” to interject. You could even
do it more insidiously by saying “Great idea. We could
also try…” As attention swivels in your direction, direct
the conversation to your own idea under the guise of
adding commentary. While you’re at it, affectionately
mention some of your previous ideas. This contrarian
and dismissive approach — best exemplified for me by
the movie critic Roger Ebert — is unfortunately
commonplace. While acceptable with professional critics,
it’s just plain annoying at work.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Be an anthropologist. There are so many tools for
learning about people — what topics they track, what
they value, how they approach their work, their
opinions. Figure out what your colleagues care
about. If they blog, read ‘em. If they tweet, follow
‘em. Their LinkedIn.com endorsements also tell a
story. Observe, learn what makes them tick,
andshape your idea to the receiver’s perspective.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Have a perspective. Many people show up at meetings
unable to offer a well-considered opinion. If you don’t
have an informed perspective, then you risk being
labeled a Doer, someone ill-suited to being a protagonist.
Doers don’t need seats at the table; no, they can be told
what to do via email. When we are working on tough
problems — whether it is a new direction or a product or
program — we will seek out the folks who are cothinkers, to become co-creators of our destiny. If you
want that role, then come ready to meetings, with a point
of view. Sometimes offering a perspective can be as
simple as knowing what questions you want to ask.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Create relevance. Every argument can benefit
from relevant quantitative data. Figure out which
facts matter and get ‘em. Even in early markets
where the data is still fuzzy, you can figure out if
something is the size of a breadbox or a Humvee.
Real customer stories and anecdotes are great;
backing those up with facts is even better.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Choose your medium. If these are people who
value numbers, use an Excel spreadsheet. If they
value good graphics, invest there. Better yet, tell a
story that weaves together facts of importance in
ways people can get lost in. Facts go in and go out,
but ideas that stick always have stories that create
meaning and resonance.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Answer the question of “why not.” When we
can understand the risks, flaws and options more
fully, we go from being just an advocate of one idea
to being an advocate for the organization. Complex
issues deserve each of us thinking about them
robustly.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Strategies to get your ideas heard:
 Be passionate. Our point of view is based on our
experiences and observations; your idea may not be
something that the rest of the group is thinking about
yet. This means you’re going to need to explain it to
them. If you do it in a way that is about you being in love
with the idea rather than about you being right, someone
else just might fall in love with that idea, too. Being
passionate does not mean having an outburst, but being
clear-minded about your approach. Krishna Chaitanya, a
commentator on a recent HBR post, wrote that the the
best words are spoken with the most honest, curious (not
challenging), and genuine voice. This speaks to a kind of
ego-less-ness that is passionate about doing the right
thing for the business.
https://hbr.org/2011/02/the-right-way-to-get-your-idea
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Researchers estimate that between a third to half of
us are introverts. You are likely in this group if you
enjoy reflection, prefer small groups to crowds, and
need solitude to replenish your energy. In her
book Quiet, author Susan Cain incited a vigorous
dialogue about our culture’s tendency to extol the
virtues of extraversion over the quieter energy of
introverts. Too often we’ve equated success or
capability with the people who get their voices heard
first and loudest.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 But as Cain eloquently points out, she believes that if
extroverts were the only ones with any influence or
power, a lot more rash, poor decisions would be
made in our world. Introverts’ observant, thoughtful
approach is also critical to address complex
problems.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Strategy #1: Get your voice in the room in the
first few minutes.
 It’s a common occurrence for introverts. You go to a
meeting with ideas, and then hang back and quietly
assess them against what others in the room are
saying, waiting for your opening. The more heated
the discussion gets, the fewer entry points you find
for yourself. Pretty soon someone has taken your
best idea, and then it’s too late. You fear you’re
viewed as either disengaged or lacking in ideas.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-inmeetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Introverts are thoughtful, which means we’re also
good strategists. Instead of leaving your contribution
to chance — have a plan. Challenge yourself to put
your ideas on the table in the first few minutes, and
at a minimum, get your voice in the room. The vibe
of the meeting is set early, and by contributing then,
you’re establishing yourself as an active participant.
As an added plus, people may refer back to your
comments and offer additional ways for you to get
heard.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Another strategy is to get on the agenda in a
prominent role. The Poynter Institute’s Butch Ward,
an introvert himself, suggests a strategy to take on an
assignment to present to your coworkers. By getting
the stage solo, it ensures your voice will be heard. If
you don’t have a formal presentation, you can also
request to be put on the agenda with the meeting
organizer.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Strategy #2: Ask important questions.
 Asking questions can be easier than sharing ideas,
especially if you’re not sure how your ideas will be
accepted or don’t feel they’re ready to be discussed.
Introverts are naturally observant, and can use this
advantage to ask key questions that move the
dialogue further. It helps clarify everyone’s thinking
if, in the battle between competing ideas, you can
propose a thought-provoking question.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-inmeetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Since introverts generally feel better thinking
through something instead of spontaneously making
a comment, you may even want to write down a list
of questions in advance. Even if you don’t ask them
exactly, this process will help form your thoughts for
the questions you do bring forward.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-inmeetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Strategy #3: Be a synthesizer of ideas.
 Most introverts have a knack for listening and
reflection. This may seem like exactly the opposite of
what you should do to get heard in a meeting, but
similar to the point above this is a major asset.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 In the rush to be heard, meeting participants can talk
over each other, contradict, or even be in total
agreement without realizing it. Being able to
synthesize what you’re observing, and find common
threads is helpful, i.e. “What I hear Jane and Bob
both say is that our product is out of date. Now what
will we do about it?”
 Summing up and advancing the conversation moves
the meeting forward, and carves out an important
role for you, all the while enhancing your visibility.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-inmeetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 Strategy #4: Call out the elephant in the
room.
 One aspect of being an introvert that can frustrate
me is that it’s associated with low assertiveness. I,
like many introverts I know, have no problem
expressing ourselves. We just assert ourselves when
we need to, and are okay to hang back if we don’t.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-inmeetings/2/
Four Ways Introverts Can Get Heard In Meetings
 If there’s an issue everyone is avoiding, see that as an
opportunity. Bringing it up with your signature
thoughtfulness could be the perfect way for you to be
heard – and make a memorable impression.
 Even more important, as Cain posits, we desperately
need reflective, truth-telling in our organizations.
Instead of considering introversion something to get
past, you can use it to be the most vocal opinion in
the room in your own unique way.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/19/four-ways-introverts-can-get-heard-in-meetings/2/
Reasons to have staff meetings in
school daycare environments
 Share information
 Share opinions
 Solve problems
 Skills training
 Support
Tasks for groups or committees
 Make decisions
 Determine roles
 Complete a specific project
 Evaluate a program or program component
 Identify or analyze a problem