Author Archives: Jasmine Stephenson

By Jasmine Stephenson

It’s not always easy to stick up for ourselves, express our opinions, or share a new idea with coworkers and supervisors. Does the idea of speaking up in a meeting with all eyes on you make you cringe? Maybe you aren’t clear on a procedure, but you’re too afraid to ask? Here are some easy, surefire ways to be heard at work.

Keep it Short and to the Point

You’re sitting in a meeting with your fellow coworkers while your boss is informing you on a change in work processes, a new client, or a basic status update. After the monologue, your supervisor opens the floor for questions or comments. You have a burning question or idea on the tip of your tongue, but sharing it out loud makes you feel unbearably anxious. Relax, take a deep breath, and compact your point into one or two sentences. The more direct, the better. This makes your idea easy to digest and easy to answer. You are also contributing to the meeting in a helpful way.

Speak From a Non-Emotional Perspective

If you’ve kept a feeling of disagreement bottle up inside for too long, you are likely to feel frustrated and angry, maybe even to the point of tears. However, a professional environment is obviously not the best place to let these emotions loose, and you will have little effect when coming from a negative emotional state. The best way to overcome these emotions is to write your points down on a piece of paper. Let a trusted coworker or loved one review them to ensure they sound professional, factual, and/or objective. Now you are ready to discuss your viewpoint.

Your Contribution Matters

A lot of the fear associated with sharing your opinions or asking questions comes from a lack of confidence, or rather, a lack of acknowledgement regarding your role in the workplace. As an employee, you are part of the core function of the business. As an experienced member of staff and someone working in your specific role, you can often see what others may not, even management. Your work effort, your ideas, and you in general matter – or else you wouldn’t have a job. If you are coming from a place of wanting to increase efficiency, better the business’s environment, or another positive contribution, your ideas are important. Remind yourself of that the next time you feel nervous or afraid to speak up.

Weigh In: How do you combat anxiety when speaking up in the workplace?

Author Information

Jasmine Stephenson regularly shares her insights as a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement. She also works as a contributing writer for Guide to Career Education on topics related to completing your high school diploma at home.