Being more visible and vocal: ACE it!
Speaking up in a meeting with executives about broader strategy can be daunting. You may be quietly pleased that you've been invited to the table, but now the challenge is to be seen to add value. How do you do that when you only have expert knowledge of one part of the business, and nowhere near the experience that some of the more senior leaders have? You start to think frantically about what smart, insightful thing you could say to show them all, and yourself, that you deserve to be here. Nothing is coming up. You start to panic a little. Wait, what are they talking about now? D***, I missed how they got here. You freeze. Better stay quiet now or I might show I wasn't listening or I don't fully understand. You've missed an opportunity to make your contribution.
If you sometimes find yourself in such a spot, know that you can get better at this. You can learn to keep yourself on an even keel and engage in the conversation. I've developed a simple framework to help you master this, and I’m sharing this with you out of the kindness of my heart, because I know it works: ACE it!
Be Aware of where your focus is. If it has drifted to looking for the right thing to say, or to panicking that you can't find it, notice it. It's ok, just bring your attention back. Be Aware of what else is vying for your attention right now. Try naming it for yourself.
Calm yourself down. Take a couple of seconds to recognize what you're experiencing, and park it. It is totally fine to experience what you are, but you can choose not to get hooked on that right now. It only takes a couple of breaths, but calming whatever is clouding your skies will clear your head. Disband the clouds. A clear head will allow you to redirect your focus to the discussion.
With a calm, clear mind you are ready to Engage again in meaningful conversation. You can stay focused and listen with the intent to understand. No need to be preparing what you'll say next or wondering what others might think. Just listen to understand. Pay attention. At the very least you'll learn something and be seen to show an interest. When you've done this a couple times you'll find you're familiar enough with the issues to ask a question or offer a view that helps the discussion forward. And when your attention wanders, cycle through ACE again: be Aware, Calm yourself, and Engage.
Get in touch if you want to find out more.
