Ask for what you need.
I had a client who wanted to work on responding during meetings. They described themselves as someone who prefers to think about a topic before responding. They had concerns about how they were being perceived because there were people in the meeting who responded during the meetings regardless of their content.
However, my client wanted to be someone who not only responded during the meeting, but with depth, insights, and clarity.
Once we established my client’s goal. I shared my own experience with speaking in meetings.
Early on in my career, I used to sit in meetings and listen. After the meeting, I would go to my mentor’s office and share my thoughts about the meeting. My mentor would praise my insights and then ask me why I didn’t express my thoughts in the meeting. After the second or third of these after-meeting meetings, my mentor challenged me to speak during the meeting.
I was a reflective learner then, and I still am. However, I took up the challenge and learned how to adapt my style to speak during meetings. In those meetings, I would contribute my initial thoughts and ALSO ask for what I needed–more time to process and do research. Additionally, I would communicate that I’d follow up in a realistic timeframe. Typically, this timeframe ranged from one day to one week.
Some team members scoffed at my request and complained that it took too much time, and they wanted to make decisions in the meeting. However, I stayed my course. After providing informative, thoughtful, and detailed follow-ups, the loudest complainers became the biggest advocates for me taking the time up-front. My reflections, on multiple occasions, provided insights that saved both time and money for the team and organization.
I shared my story so my client would know…
↳ They’re not the only one who prefers to reflect before responding.
↳ It’s possible to learn to adapt one’s style.
↳ If they prefer time to think about an item. Ask for the time.
💎 Exceptional Leader Practices:
️ ⭐️ Ensure your processes are flexible enough to accommodate your team’s communication styles.
️ ⭐️ Be open to growth and seeking support.
️ ⭐️ Ask. Voicing your needs can add value to your organization and encourage others to do the same.
You got this!
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💎 Leadership is an inside-out game.
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