Getting heard in a meeting is no easy feat and studies show that it is especially difficult for women. See there is a lot of mansplaining and manterrupting going on. But no matter what your politics are you may want to take a cue from the current administration for your next meeting, specifically the women that work closely with President Obama. A former staffer told The Washington Post,that the woman used a simple rhetorical tool to prevent interruptions and make sure their voices were heard. It’s simple: When a woman made a good point, another woman would repeat it, and then made sure to give credit to the originator. This reinforcement made it harder to forget and as a result Obama began to call on women more. They called the technique “amplification.” As we all know, repetition is always the key. Try this in your next meeting!
“It’s fair to say that there was a lot of testosterone flowing in those early days. Now we have a little more estrogen that provides a counterbalance,” said current White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. When women support other women, amazing things happen.
Here are a few more tips for getting heard at your next meeting.
1. Use Strong Body Language
If you are slumped over with your head down and mumbling, then of course no one is going to listen to you. Take a cue from your male coworkers and spread out and sit up straight. Also sit right in front and make eye contact with people when you speak. Show them you seriously need to be heard!
2. No Sorry’s
Do not follow everything you say with an “I’m sorry” or “I’m not sure” or even making your voice go up at the end of the sentence. Speak like a newscaster. Even if you don’t know it is absolutely right, pretend like you do.
3. Be as Prepared as Possible
Do your research so you don’t have to stress about anything. Also, have a clear agenda for what you want to accomplish during the meeting.
