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09/17/2019

Be Confident and Offer Your Expertise in Meetings

Avoid letting self-appointed experts overshadow real knowledge

Studies show that organizational leaders spend 40-75 percent of their days in meetings. If you’re one of the many spending more than half their day in meetings, it’s important to speak up and get your voice heard. Remember, people want to hear from you. If you want to learn how you can speak up in meetings to increase your visibility, read below for tips on leveraging your talents to truly be confident in the place you’ve earned at the table.

1. Share your expertise
Why were you invited to this meeting? Your attendance was requested! Remember all the experience and knowledge you have, and trust that you can leverage how well-respected you already are. Don’t hold back from speaking up and sharing what you know. Assume that you are empowered to share your opinions – people want to hear from you! The company benefits when you weigh in, so give yourself permission to be more outspoken in your areas of expertise.

2. Use your knowledge outside your area
Don’t just limit your input to your specific areas, either. You don’t have to jump in with ill-informed opinions or sweeping statements that could offend those more well-versed on a topic. Instead, use a mild-mannered and questioning approach to contribute. For example, try asking, “I’m curious why we wouldn’t do it like this?” or “Are there other tactics you’ve considered to move forward?” Ask as many questions as you need to get a better handle on the topic, and to gently and subtly offer your thoughts. When you start to be present this way, people will more actively seek you out to gain your insightful and unique perspective.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.

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