madamenoire.com
Happy Tuesday!
With all the hype on women’s empowerment, leaning in and sitting at the table, it seems all women at work should do is speak up! We should voice our opinions, fight for equal rights and be as opinionated as we can afford to!
Yet, in mine and many others’ experiences, there are instances when it’s just smarter to not speak up. Words are great conveyors of meaning, so choosing your words carefully, at work or in life, is crucial to your success. If less than desirable or plain negative situations inspire you to speak up, re-consider your argument and decide carefully on whether speaking up is going to help or hinder your career:
1. Speaking up to complain…for the sake of complaining: Complaining to complain is not effective, and can even look bad on you! So your colleague got the promotion you thought you deserved? Or your review is not as fair as it should be? Should you consider your options to remedy the situation? Certainly! Yet, is it a reason to speak up loud and clear to complain about a situation that you may not have the power or bandwidth to change? Maybe not. Yes, we should speak up against unfair situations or personal attacks, but unless our words are positive, effective and offer some sort of solution or compromise, you may have to wait a bit to speak up…
2. Speaking up to deflect blame: “It’s not my problem!” is a common blame deflector in the workplace. Why should I care if my entire business unit is performing poorly, I’m doing my job, right? Wrong! Someone once told me that if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. At work or in life, taking responsibility is key. Rather than speaking up to deflect blame or responsibility, ask yourself how you can help remedy the problem, then speak up.
3. Speaking up out of uncertainty: “I’ll try”, or “I may be able to meet this deadline”, and similar statements all have a common denominator: Uncertainty. And uncertainty is not appealing at work, as it denotes a certain lack of self-confidence and assertiveness. If you’re going to speak up, let it be out of a place of confidence and authority. Statements such as “I anticipate having this project completed by Monday”, or “I am planning to close this deal the first week of the month”, are not only more definitive, powerful and effective, but they also convey a sense of ownership in your work. Afraid to make mistakes? Mistakes are par for the course, and can only help demonstrate your ability to do better. So go ahead and speak up with confidence…
Would you agree?
The Corporate Sister.
