Confidence in meetings
The pre-meeting
Read through the agenda and pick a stance that may be a point of contention and push that topic further than by just agreeing with it.
Before the meeting, find something on agenda that you are passionate about and prepare a statement that expresses a strong opinion or idea that goes beyond agreeing with the status quo. Instead of just agreeing with things that are already on the floor, work to put out new ideas and contribute more to the meeting.
Arrive early to the meeting and make some small talk with the colleagues so that you feel more comfortable about having your voice in the room. This makes you more prone to speak up when the time comes during the meeting because you have already interacted with some of the people in the meeting beforehand.
Using power language
“I strongly suggest”
“This is absolutely right”
“My strong advice is”
“Here’s my plan”
“I recommend”
Prepare to speak
Practice practice practice!
If you aren't confident about speaking and that holds you back when the time is right, there is no shame in practicing something you aren't particularly good or confident at. Speaking is an extremely valuable skill and essential as a mode of communication in business. Therefore, finding opportunities to speak and interact with others is something good to work on to build up your confidence.
Make an impact
To test the waters, you can share your view or idea wih a friend of trusted colleague before meetings and ask for their opinion on whether or not they think your point is valid. This allows you to get some third-party opinions on the matter and helps you build confidence about your stance or brings new ideas that you may not have thought of prior.
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