Top Exercises to Confidently Speak Up in Meetings.

It can be intimidating to speak up in a team meeting. Those with great ideas often fear sharing them because they aren’t sure how to speak up when in a group.

But the best way to stand out (and grab those leadership roles) is to communicate your ideas.

Be ready to speak up:

Find out what topics will be covered and educate yourself on the area. Familiarize yourself with the subject matter and terminology.

Anticipate what might come up in discussion.

Prepare a few questions to ask.

When the meeting starts:

Set yourself a goal to speak up in the first 10 minutes. You can “warm up” by voicing support for someone else’s idea. This can be a simple, “I agree with Tamara,” a short phrase or sentence to get yourself going.

Listen carefully, and take notes to keep on track.

If you are asked a question, paraphrase or ask a clarifying question to make sure you know what was asked.

Before responding, take a breath and pause to organize your thoughts. Then look around the group, smile, and start.

Practice:

Once a day, when driving, dressing or cooking, etc., look around and pick a random object. Try to talk about it for at least 1 minute. 

If you are listening to a podcast or news program, try to answer the questions posed by the interviewers.

Off-the-cuff speaking is a skill, and like any other skill, the more you practice, the better you become.