I was recently asked: “How do you speak up in a meeting when you are not sure if you have a valid point to make? What can I say when I haven’t had time to think out my response?”
This questioner said he needs to think things through before speaking up. As a result he often leaves a meeting having said nothing. He has been told that colleagues believe either that he has nothing to contribute, or that he is disengaged from the discussion. Can you relate to this challenge?
Often the easiest way to contribute is by asking questions and the questions can steer a group that is going around in circles. Questions can arise simply from listening and enable us to contribute while we guide the group towards a more useful outcome.
Goal oriented questions are one way to do this - for example:
- What do we need to achieve in this meeting?
- What would you like to be different when you leave this session or meeting?
- What is important for the end user of this xxxx?
- What do we want to be different about the customer experience?
Another simple intervention is to asking clarifying questions, such as: “What is an L.E.T again?” This will let people know you are listening. You can also use summarising questions to ensure you have understood: “So for you to be comfortable with the new system you require more information on x, y and z?”
To be heard and to demonstrate that you are involved – ask questions. For some more suggestions look at an interesting article in the American Chronicle
