Speaking up at work meetings does not require complex jargon. What matters, according to a career coach and author of the book Managing Upward, is clear thinking, the right questions, and linking ideas to business goals. The coach has spent more than 15 years advising employees at large companies including Google, Amazon and NATO.
He said meeting participation can play an important role in career advancement if treated as a chance to demonstrate strategic thinking. He recommended following four principles.
The first is to ask questions that broaden the view of a problem, drawing the team's attention to gaps, connections between projects, or shared goals across departments, rather than simply trying to offer the most impressive idea.
The second is to use social proof. If a proposal already has support from colleagues, management or clients, mentioning that fact quietly raises its credibility.
The third is to tie proposals to company priorities such as efficiency, cost reduction, speed, growth or competitive advantage.
Finally, he advised speaking about results in concrete, measurable terms, citing figures such as how many customers received a new product, how much sales grew, or how many projects were completed.
