If you have a tech background, chances are you’re not the type who talks endlessly during meetings. While you might not want to be that person, there are moments when not speaking up affects decision making in a negative way.
Let’s see how you can identify those situations.
Identifying key situations
Picture this. You’re sitting around the table. People are talking, and suddenly you feel there is something important that hasn’t being said. You start to feel a sensation in your body… a surge of energy, a rush of adrenaline. Some people call this sensation butterflies, or anxiety.
If you’re like most people, at that point you start to think about what you can say. You ponder whether it’s a good idea to speak up or not. You might think about it until you realize that the topic has changed and that it doesn’t really make a lot of sense anymore to speak about this.
That’s how you miss important opportunities.
You might convince yourself it wasn’t that important, or that you can always talk about it later. But you probably won’t.
It’s an improvisation
Those moments are key. The sensation you feel in this situation is key. It’s your brain that gives you energy because there is something important. If it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t feel anything in particular. This process happens automatically. By thinking about it, you do nothing less than discovering the reason for this sensation. But the problem when you do that, is that the world around you doesn’t stop. Things go on and the opportunity is missed.
The solution? Treat this sensation as a trigger. Speak up right away.
Treat it as an improvisation. Start to speak, saying whatever comes. Discover the reason of this sensation in real time, publicly.
It takes a lot of courage when you’re not used to do it. But this is how you give maximum value to the group. That’s how you give all your abilities and knowledge in a meeting. It is gift that allows the group to take better decisions. This idea can also be used outside of meetings to create impactful opportunities.
By speaking up in those situations, you’ll often uncover variables that weren’t taken into consideration. Sometimes it can be things that seem obvious to you, but that for some reason were disregarded.
Improving group decisions
In a perfect world, you would know in advance all the issues and implications that would be covered in a meeting. But in reality, there is a lot of instant action. Discussions go unexpectedly in one direction or another, and if you don’t speak up at that moment, wrong and irreversible decisions can be taken.
By speaking up, you ensure that the group is aware of all the important variables at stake. You ensure the absence of dark areas, unspoken assumptions that can potentially lead to a disaster.
Will it always be important? Of course not! It’s an heuristic process. It’s your brain’s best automatic assessment of the situation. Sometimes it will not be important. But when the moment arrives, you can’t know.
Speaking up in those situations have many advantages:
- You help the group to take better decisions
- You increase your confidence
- The feedback improves your own decision process
- You improve the dynamic of the group
There’s a counterintuitive truth: there are more benefits for the group to speak up, than for you.
Think about it next time you feel this sensation building up in your body. Beware of the trap of thinking and pondering the idea in your mind. It doesn’t help anyone. Rather, speak up!
About the author
My name is Geoffrey Huck, former software engineer and independent IT consultant. I’m a public speaking coach, former Toastmasters Club President, specialized in helping IT leaders speak confidently and effectively. If you want to improve your speaking skills, book a call here and we’ll see how I can help.