Ep15: Speaking up in Meetings is More Important than you Think

The Career Woman's Secret Playbook Podcast - with Dr. Dawn

Welcome to Episode 15 of The Career Woman’s Secret Playbook Podcast! I’m your host, Dr. Dawn, CEO/Founder of Dr. Dawn ShopTalk and in Today’s episode we’re going to talk about the fact that speaking up in meetings is more important than you think and HERE is the real irony - women get the reputation of talking a lot, but when it comes to the workplace, and especially when it comes to important meetings, did you know that we actually don’t? And here is why speaking up is so important-when it comes to being recognized for your work and competing equally for the next promotion, speaking up in meetings can make you more visible, which as we talked about in our last episode, can be a key strategy in making sure that you don't get passed over in your careers.
So Let’s Get to It: If you are getting frustrated with the fact that you don’t feel like you can speak up effectively in meetings, we are going to dive deep today into why that might be the fact, and what you can do about it. Let’s accomplish this goal by highlighting 3 things we need to know:
1: Gender Communication Differences - Did you know that even in female-dominated career, our male co-workers and colleagues led more project teams and won more arguments (got their way). If you had asked the men if this was true, they would disagree. Why were the men often blind to their dominance? They were the victims of unconscious bias.

2: How this affects us as Career Women - If gone unchecked, male dominance in meetings will not only affect a career woman’s confidence in the workplace, but will also affect her opportunity to become more visible and build her brand and credibility. Also keep in mind that the men aren't the only factor that can contribute to why women are holding themselves back - for example, women tend to be collaborators, are often keen listeners and usually take the good of the whole into consideration rather than shining the light on themselves.

3: What We Can Do About It - Awareness is half the battle, isn’t it? In addition to awareness, here's just a few simple stakes you can take RIGHT NOW: 1) Prep for the meeting ahead of time 2) Ask questions 3) Don't put yourself down or use qualifiers. Once you banish negativity and qualifiers, adopt some phrases that are clear and commanding. Phrases that are direct, like “Here’s my idea” or “I recommend,” will make a big difference in how people respond to you.

NEW HERE? Check this out!

1. GET YOUR FREE copy of the What to Do When your Office is Driving You Nuts Cheat Sheet. This fun guide is chopped full of tips/tricks on how to have a fantastic workday no matter what: https://mailchi.mp/60f211dfceab/u9t0yyxuk3

2. GET YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK that our Podcast is based on, The Career Woman’s Secret Playbook: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Womans-Secret-Playbook/dp/B09RM4PW9Q. For Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-career-womans-secret-playbook-dr-dawn-hamby/

3. Let’s Work Together! Head over to www.drdawnshoptalk.com to book me as a speaker or to schedule some coaching sessions with me.

4. Subscribe to the Dr. Dawn ShopTalk YouTube Channel, where you will get to see Dr. Dawn share even more career secrets while also having access to her customized playlist of topics. Subscribe HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRIDhk7sor_xo4jxa57aP9A