One of the abilities I have worked on to improve all my professional life is contributing effectively at the right time. This is particularly difficult in a meeting or on a call with very senior or dominant colleagues, especially when they seem to want to talk all the time. This can be even more challenging on a Skype conference call when it is sometimes hard to know who is speaking.
The old saying goes out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings), which in my context applies to young professionals learning their job but often bringing fresh and unexpected insight to a situation. As a young lawyer working on a large bond issue I raised some point of interpretation of a provision of UK companies legislation that seemed to me to raise an issue. Probably because it did the senior lawyer in a large City law firm advising on the transaction listened but just did not really want to know.
There are ways of learning to contribute more and in a timely manner which can help. One simple technique is to make sure during the introductions at a meeting or on a call you say something about yourself or the weather or anything really which means that your voices has at least been heard. It is then far easier to contribute later.
Here is a good article 10 Ways to Increase Visibility in Meetings which discusses someone whose quiet nature and somewhat passive approach were interfering with his need to be visible, especially in meetings where higher level executives were in attendance. As a result, senior staff members and other influential people weren’t aware of the impact player my client truly was. It was clear that he needed to become more visible and self-expressed.
There is a book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence which includes tips for what it describes as the “phobia of participation”. I also like this Harvard Business Review Article Don’t Let Inexperience Stop You from Participating in Meetings which quite wisely says The first thing you should do is gauge your company culture. In some companies, participation from junior staff is essential, a key part of the career development process. In other companies, it might not be a big deal — or might even be actively discouraged. Take the pulse of your office.
This is because it is not just about young professionals having the courage of their convictions and speaking up. This is an institutional issue as to whether an organisation encourages or indeed should encourage such behaviour. I firmly believe it should – the young workers are the very future of the firm. As Benjamin Disraeli said The Youth of a Nation are the trustees of posterity.
The very law firm I mentioned above had a policy at that time, since abandoned, of only allowing partners and clients through the front door of their offices. Trainee lawyers and more humble staff had to use a side door. That would hardly have encouraged young lawyers who were learning their profession to dare to speak their mind when a partner or senior lawyer was present.
Leaders of conference calls or meetings can greatly assist by giving everyone a chance to contribute – on a Skype call this may be as simple as leaving time at the end to go around everyone on the call and ask if they have anything to add. See this article which suggests Some team members are naturally assertive and self-confident, while others are naturally shy and quiet. An assertive and self-confident person doesn't necessarily have better ideas than a shy and quiet person, but assertive people are a lot more likely to be heard and to have their ideas acted upon. To get the best out of your quieter team members, structure your meetings so that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. Give people time to fully articulate their ideas.
I am not saying young professionals should not recognise and respect their elder colleagues, but rather that for their development and the good of the business they are in (which are interlinked) they should be given every chance to contribute.
As Oscar Wilde said The only people to whose opinions I listen now with any respect are people much younger than myself. They seem in front of me. Life has revealed to them her latest wonder.
The old saying goes out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings), which in my context applies to young professionals learning their job but often bringing fresh and unexpected insight to a situation. As a young lawyer working on a large bond issue I raised some point of interpretation of a provision of UK companies legislation that seemed to me to raise an issue. Probably because it did the senior lawyer in a large City law firm advising on the transaction listened but just did not really want to know.
There are ways of learning to contribute more and in a timely manner which can help. One simple technique is to make sure during the introductions at a meeting or on a call you say something about yourself or the weather or anything really which means that your voices has at least been heard. It is then far easier to contribute later.
Here is a good article 10 Ways to Increase Visibility in Meetings which discusses someone whose quiet nature and somewhat passive approach were interfering with his need to be visible, especially in meetings where higher level executives were in attendance. As a result, senior staff members and other influential people weren’t aware of the impact player my client truly was. It was clear that he needed to become more visible and self-expressed.
There is a book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence which includes tips for what it describes as the “phobia of participation”. I also like this Harvard Business Review Article Don’t Let Inexperience Stop You from Participating in Meetings which quite wisely says The first thing you should do is gauge your company culture. In some companies, participation from junior staff is essential, a key part of the career development process. In other companies, it might not be a big deal — or might even be actively discouraged. Take the pulse of your office.
This is because it is not just about young professionals having the courage of their convictions and speaking up. This is an institutional issue as to whether an organisation encourages or indeed should encourage such behaviour. I firmly believe it should – the young workers are the very future of the firm. As Benjamin Disraeli said The Youth of a Nation are the trustees of posterity.
The very law firm I mentioned above had a policy at that time, since abandoned, of only allowing partners and clients through the front door of their offices. Trainee lawyers and more humble staff had to use a side door. That would hardly have encouraged young lawyers who were learning their profession to dare to speak their mind when a partner or senior lawyer was present.
Leaders of conference calls or meetings can greatly assist by giving everyone a chance to contribute – on a Skype call this may be as simple as leaving time at the end to go around everyone on the call and ask if they have anything to add. See this article which suggests Some team members are naturally assertive and self-confident, while others are naturally shy and quiet. An assertive and self-confident person doesn't necessarily have better ideas than a shy and quiet person, but assertive people are a lot more likely to be heard and to have their ideas acted upon. To get the best out of your quieter team members, structure your meetings so that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. Give people time to fully articulate their ideas.
I am not saying young professionals should not recognise and respect their elder colleagues, but rather that for their development and the good of the business they are in (which are interlinked) they should be given every chance to contribute.
As Oscar Wilde said The only people to whose opinions I listen now with any respect are people much younger than myself. They seem in front of me. Life has revealed to them her latest wonder.
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