 |
| Gillian Lopez Management Consultant Career Services Center |
Do you ever get nervous to speak up in class or in a
meeting? Have you ever skipped out of answering a question in lecture even
though you knew the answer? It’s common to see the same old students answering
questions in lecture, but try and challenge yourself one week and practice speaking
up in class or at a meeting. Last week I was able to conquer my fear of
speaking up in class and it felt really good! I learned that, if you have full
assurance in your knowledge, your research, and what you have learned then you
should feel confident when speaking-up in class. There are a few good reasons
why practicing to speak up in class can also help prepare you for the work
world and here’s how.
I am an extrovert outside the classroom setting and in my everyday
activities I am very outspoken and lively. However, in the classroom setting I
am a little more reserved, quiet, and I prefer to listen to those student’s
answers rather than be that student who answers the question. It’s an odd mix,
but if you are comfortable speaking up in lecture with a classroom size of 100
students, then you should be comfortable enough to speak up in a work meeting.
Perhaps you have a great idea that you would like to share with your boss and
colleagues, or maybe you disagree with one of your coworker’s statements. Most
managers like to see their employees speaking up and actively participating in
meetings. It demonstrates strength in knowledge and it also provides assurance
that their employees can advocate on behalf of their company with full
confidence.
Another great reason for speaking-up in class or at work is
that you get recognized for having a voice. In the lecture I spoke up in, the
professor continuously recognized me for sharing my answer with the class. He
likes to encourage all students to participate in class by sharing their
opinions. At the end of that lecture, he acknowledged my participation in
class, because he knew I was previously a shy student. Now I enjoy speaking up
in class and other classes as well. You can also get positively recognized in a
work setting for speaking up. For example, I’ve shared a few workshop ideas in
a meeting and received positive feedback from my boss. If I never had spoken up
about my ideas, the events would have never happened. Sometimes you lose more
from not speaking up, but you can also gain more credibility from voicing your
opinions if done so in a professional and respectful way. When you speak up
firmly and with confidence you are more likely to get recognized by your
manager and colleagues in a admirable way.
It’s understandable to be nervous to speak up in large or
small group settings, but with practice that fear will slowly diminish. If you understand what you’re talking about
then you should have all the confidence to speak up and voice your opinions! Try
this week’s challenge: “Don’t be invisible. Introduce yourself and get
noticed!” I accomplished my fear of speaking up in class, now how will you?
