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At a glance
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 ideasStop 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 quotesThe 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
SPEAKERS
Dr. Shadé Zahrai
hostOrganizational psychologist and leadership/communication coach focused on confidence and workplace performance.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
