Open-iated

By Jayne Harris


I'm certain that I'm not the only person who's felt that sharp pang of humiliation after sharing an opinion or idea - only to be told that it's "stupid", "wouldn't work", or for it to be ignored completely.  Why would somebody ask for your opinion or idea if they're not open to it?  After thinking that perhaps my opinion was wrong and my ideas were ridiculous, I realized that an opinion simply cannot be wrong and while an idea may have flaws, it is still valuable.  I started to observe people in meeting and business settings, taking note of the traits exhibited by those who seemed to have a natural command of the room.  These people had a tendency to show the same traits and had similar habits in their verbal and non-verbal communication.  Determined that my opinions and ideas wouldn't be undermined again, I took note:

1)  Powerful people take up more space.  It's as simple as spreading your papers out on a table when you go into a meeting and not timidly confining yourself to a tiny 10x10 inch section.
2)  You don't need to qualify your opinions and ideas.  When you state them, do so confidently and concisely without saying "Well I think that maybe...", "I suppose it could I guess if..." or any other phrases that weaken your statement and distract from your words (this includes verbal fillers such as um and like).
3)  If it's a big meeting, consider standing up when you speak to command attention and ensure that all eyes (and more importantly ears) are on you.
4)  When you're not speaking, make sure you're taking notes or looking at the current speaker - it shows you're paying attention and being respectful, which will likely be reciprocated on your turn.
5)  Practice!  Even if you only have a two-minute window to share your ideas, you can make the most of your time by speaking concisely and not stumbling over your words.

Above all, don't be one of those people who belittle the opinions and ideas of others.  Being open to input can benefit your company/project and improve the outcome.  Open-iated, not opinionated!