Your ideas are great, so why aren't you sharing them?

Someone poses a question and you know the answer.

Yet you hesitate. You could be wrong. The idea could be daft. You could look stupid.

The moment passes, someone else speaks up and shares their idea. It's exactly what you would have said.

You're annoyed with yourself. You know you have good ideas.

So why aren't you involving yourself in the conversation?

We're particularly susceptible to this when we start a new role or are meeting people we don't know well. We know we need to make a good first impression so don't want to create too much risk by sharing 'out there' ideas.

But what the world needs is your bold ideas. So what can we change about our own behaviour to help us pipe up?

How about:
- building a thicker skin. It's ok to be wrong! If you share the wrong answer shrug it off, acknowledge defeat and try again the next time. Plus you're unlikely to be flat out 'wrong' - your idea just might not be the best one in the room this time around. 

- Try not to get emotionally attached to all your ideas. We often think our own ideas are great, it's only natural :). If you invest your heart and soul in your solution to the latest corporate drama you could end up bruised. Invest energy and time, but not ALL of yourself. Hold back a little for self-preservation.

- Plan for it. If this is something that regularly happens to you (freezing in the moment) then plan in advance what you might want to say. While you can't predict how a whole conversation will go, you'll usually have an agenda to work from. If there is something you want to share - try scripting yourself. 

You wouldn't read from a script in the meeting (that could be a little odd) but having a script and reading it a couple of times in advance means it's more likely to stick in your mind and sound eloquent when it comes out.

- Go first. The feeling of 'should I, shouldn't I' gets worse the longer you pause. So when a question is posed, offer your answer first before anyone else. Obviously don't be rude and do this in every conversation! But if you're nervous and looking to contribute more it's a good way to get your voice heard.


We need your ideas and opinions. Please share them!

P.S. Building confidence can be hard work. It's tiring putting yourself out there but it pays dividends as your reputation and experience builds. Keep sharing your ideas! Get in touch if I can help.