When to Speak Up in a Meeting

In business, how you speak and when matters. The right kind of communication can help you succeed, but poor communication can play a role in burnout and reduced performance. This is why it’s important to understand the impact of communication in business and how to improve when communication is lacking.

This article will take a closer look at the different types of business communication, offer insights into meeting dynamics, how and when to communicate, and tips to help you speak with confidence during meetings.

Understanding Business Communication

It’s important to understand the dynamics of business communication if you want to succeed in your career. There are generally four different types of business communication:

1. Upward: This is communication that travels up the chain of command from an employee to their superior, such as feedback, surveys, one-on-ones, and staff-led meetings.
2. Downward: In contrast, this type of communication flows down the organizational hierarchy from leaders to the staff they manage. This often happens through meetings, memos, emails, and also one-on-one.  
3. Lateral: This is the type of communication that occurs between peers and colleagues who are generally on the same level, such as communicating together about a project.
4. External: Communication that occurs between staff and individuals outside the company, such as customers, is considered external communication.

In meetings, you can have upward, downward, and lateral communication, depending on the type of meeting it is. For example, if it’s a training meeting, then you are more likely to have downward communication where the leaders are primarily the ones speaking. If it’s a staff-led meeting for project collaboration, then you are more likely to have lateral communication between team members.

When to Speak and When to Hold Back

Knowing the types of business communication can help when you are in a meeting and trying to determine when or if it’s okay to speak up.

There are many reasons why people don’t speak up in meetings, such as fear of embarrassment, concern about how people will respond, lack of confidence, or even because the leaders aren’t leaving room for any feedback.

If you are in a meeting led by your managers and superiors, for example, it might feel like the only type of communication occurring is downward, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t or shouldn’t speak up.

Often, knowing when to speak and when to hold back is a matter of reading the room and the cues.

When to speak up:

• If those leading the meeting are asking for feedback or input.
• If you have a relevant question, comment, or idea that affects everyone (or multiple people) in the group.
• If you have already been drawn in as part of the conversation and you disagree on something or have a different opinion.
• If you are in a collaborative brainstorming meeting and you have an idea.

When to hold back:

• If meeting leaders have asked for people to refrain from giving feedback until a certain point in the meeting.
• If your comment or question isn’t relevant or only applies to you. If this is the case, you can set up a one-on-one meeting or send an email.
• If your comment relates to a tricky or sensitive topic. This may be better left for a private conversation.

These are just a few examples that can help you get an idea of how to sense when to speak and when to wait during a meeting. These aren’t necessarily hard rules, but more of a guide.

Tips to Help You Speak Up in Meetings

If not speaking up in meetings is a matter of fear or being timid, we’ve got some tips to help you banish those meeting jitters and speak with more confidence:

1. Prepare in advance: If you struggle to come up with good questions or comments on the spot, try writing your thoughts and questions down ahead of time.
2. Don’t push it: If you are a hesitant or timid person, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t speak up enough. Start with one comment or question and then build from there as your confidence in speaking up grows.
3. Get it out of the way: Instead of letting your anxiety build over the course of the meeting, try speaking up earlier in the conversation.
4. Ask for the meeting agenda: If knowing when to speak up or ask your question makes you anxious, ask for the meeting agenda ahead of time. This can help you identify when will be the best and most relevant time to speak up depending on the topic of your comment or question.
5. Challenge your beliefs: Remember that you have value and are an important member of the team. You have just as much reason to be there and to contribute as anyone else. So before your next meeting, challenge your lack of confidence in yourself by giving yourself a little pep talk before stepping in.

If you are being asked to lead a meeting and you are feeling anxious, using supplementary tools can help. If you are afraid of doing all the talking, you can use a PowerPoint presentation, for example, to help guide you through. A digital presentation is a great way to keep your speaking points on track while also offering a visual that is more engaging and helps others follow along.

There are plenty of PowerPoint design classes available online today that can help you step up your meeting game. They can give you the skills and the confidence you need to start leading more successful meetings.

Create a safe environment

If you are a leader in your workplace, it’s important to create an environment where employees feel safe and confident speaking up. Open communication in the workplace helps drive innovation and productivity. This can be done by creating a positive workplace culture that encourages employees to speak up. Using the right workplace management solutions can also help such as communication tools that foster teamwork, collaboration, and open dialogue.