Dr. Shadé Zahrai

How to Speak up in Meetings - with Confidence

One of THE most common things I get asked is, “How can I be more confident and speak more meetings?” While this is a challenge not limited to women, the question seems to mainly come from women who work in male-dominated industries. If you feel that you struggle with being heard in meetings or that you want more confidence then this video will help. In it I share practical tips and strategies that I train my own clients, and that you can apply immediately at work. The ability to to be a valuable participant in meetings is a MUST have skill that is vital to your career advancement. It can also strengthen your influence, and it will more likely get you noticed, promoted and recognised for your leadership potential. You can't afford not to level up your meeting skills and confidence. In the comments below let me know what you struggle most with in meetings – do you get cut off and interrupted all the time? Do you find it hard to even interject and share your ideas? Do you preface everything you’re about to say and apologise for taking up the space like “I’m sorry to interrupt the flow of conversation, but...” Let me know what you do and let’s tackle this together. --------- FREE Training for Professional Women: https://www.shadezahrai.com/audio-training To find out more about Shadé, visit the website: https://www.shadezahrai.com Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadezahrai/ Follow her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shadezahrai Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shadezahraispeaker Join her private FB group for Professional Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/neurofemina

Dr. Shadé Zahraihost

Aug 27, 20206mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Three tactical hacks to speak up confidently in workplace meetings

Speaking up in meetings is framed as essential for visibility, influence, and career advancement because those who speak most are often recognized and promoted.
Women may be highly communicative in everyday life yet speak less in workplace meetings, creating a visibility gap that can lead to being overlooked.
The first tactic is to remove apologetic prefaces (e.g., “sorry to interrupt,” “stupid question”) because they reduce perceived credibility before the idea is even shared.
A second tactic is to calmly reclaim the floor when interrupted using collaborative but assertive language that fits your authentic style.
A third tactic is to “pay it forward” by creating speaking space for quieter participants, signaling social intelligence and inclusive leadership.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Stop apologizing before you contribute.

Prefacing with “sorry” or calling your idea “silly” quietly signals low confidence and invites others to discount your contribution; replacing it with direct, neutral framing protects credibility.

Assume your perspective deserves airtime.

Zahrai emphasizes that others tend to value your voice only after you do, so internal belief and permission-to-speak are prerequisites to consistent participation.

Reclaim the floor without escalating tension.

If interrupted, use a calm, tactful boundary such as “I want to hear your point, but could I finish first and then we’ll come back to you?” to be assertive while remaining collaborative.

Emotional regulation protects confidence during interruptions.

Being cut off can trigger frustration or anger; staying composed helps you respond strategically rather than withdrawing or losing momentum.

Authenticity matters in assertiveness scripts.

A blunt “Let me finish” may work for some, but Zahrai recommends choosing language that matches your style so you can deliver it confidently and consistently.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

The ability to speak up and communicate in meetings is essential for career advancement. You can't afford not to do it.

— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

Unfortunately, it's usually the people who speak the most and the loudest who get heard, recognized, and then promoted.

— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

We need to remove these kinds of phrases from our vocabulary because what they do is demean your status and your credibility.

— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

The key piece here to remember is that you need to value your thoughts, your ideas, and your voice before anyone else will give you the time and space to share them. It really starts from within.

— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

"Joseph, I really do want to hear what you have to say, but could I first finish and then we'll return to you so that you can share?"

— Dr. Shadé Zahrai

Confidence and visibility in meetingsGender dynamics in male-dominated workplacesEliminating apologetic language and hedgingHandling interruptions and being cut offAuthentic assertiveness vs. perceived rudenessCreating space for quieter/introverted colleaguesInclusive, collaborative leadership signals

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