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Have a really smart coworker or colleague who loses confidence whenever she's in a meeting? Want to support her in getting her ideas out there? Below are a few tips for how you can help her, and your team—because the whole team is missing out on her brilliance when she holds back.
Amplify her. When she says something and others overlook its significance because she qualified it with an “I’m sorry,” beforehand, repeat what she said. Jump in with confidence to compliment her idea or get behind it. If you don’t necessarily agree with it, you could still acknowledge that she made a good point. Doing this will force the team to spend more time on her ideas.
Give her credit. When you’re amplifying her points, make sure you reference her. “Like Tracy was saying…” This will remind your colleagues to pay attention when Tracy speaks. It will also make sure that if her idea goes somewhere, credit is not absorbed with someone else.
Encourage her to say more or ask a pointed question. You can redirect the meeting back to your colleague by asking her direct questions about her idea. You can ask her to say more about it which provides her some permission to keep on going and to keep the floor’s attention. Getting her to speak further may also reveal a some confidence as she gets excited about her ideas and as she feels the presence of an encourager at the table.
Are you the colleague who loses confidence in meetings? Ask your coworkers to take these steps for you. More importantly, start a conversation with coworkers to see how you can support each other in getting your ideas to be taken seriously. If you have more tips, please add them in the comments below.