"It's not about finding your voice, it's about giving yourself permission to use your voice." - Kris Carr

Ever been in a meeting and have a “lightbulb” moment?  This is when a thought or idea pops into your head that pertains to the discussion and is most likely impactful. This is one of those thoughts that makes you feel excited, even a bit nervous and is followed by your gut telling you to speak up and share your idea.  But because you’re afraid of looking bad, embarrassing yourself or being criticized, you play it safe and choose not to share it. What often happens next is your peer states your “lightbulb” idea and receives lots of praise for it. And so, you’ve missed out on a great opportunity to stretch yourself and standout.

We all have “lightbulb” moments, those strong intuitive hunches that have the potential to make a big difference… when shared. Yet, too often fear gets the best of us and keeps us from speaking up.

Here are six strategies to overcome fear and lean into your “lightbulb” moments:  

1. Shift Your Perspective – Instead of thinking that speaking up may hurt your reputation, see it as an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, grow professionally and be more visible.

2. Focus on the Value You Bring – Remind yourself that you are the subject matter expert and believe in your value.  People see you as the functional specialist and want to hear what you have to say. 

3. Prepare in advance – Before the meeting, review the agenda and identify possible insights to present that might benefit the group. Be prepared to respond to feedback and questions from others. If you don’t have an answer to a question, you can always say you’ll get back to them with the answer. 

4. Start small – Give yourself a goal of making small contributions or asking a question to encourage the discussion. This will help build your confidence to speak up more and get better at doing this.

5. Worst case scenario – Ask yourself  “What is the worst thing that can happen if I say something that falls flat?” If this should happen, know that the discussion will continue, and no one will dwell on your comment. After the meeting, the only thing that will be remembered is that you’re a good contributor and bring meaningful insights.

6. Follow Up – After the meeting, consider following up with a stakeholder or team member to get  constructive feedback on your participation and what you can do to improve.

Overcoming the fear of leaning into your “lightbulb” moments and speaking up can be challenging and scary, especially depending on your audience. This is a gradual process so be patient with yourself.  With practice, you’ll build the confidence to trust your hunches and speak up more. 

If you’d like help building confidence and leaning into your lightbulb moments, contact me and we’ll get started.