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Speak Up to Have Influence!

May 27, 2003

"We've all been in meetings that were dull and boring and going nowhere.  In such situations, we tend to think, 'It's not my meeting - I wish the leader would do something!'  Like a student in the classroom, we feel it's not our place to speak out.  Nothing can be further from the truth!

If you're in a meeting, be an active participant.  If you have an idea, observation, or question, speak up!  Don't expect others to know what's on your mind.  Help the group in any way you can: by summarizing, keeping time, drawing out others, tracking agreed-upon items, and so forth.  The more you are engaged the more you'll be able to make of your time and the time of others (Nelson, 2001, p. 44)."

Reference:  Nelson, B. (2001).  Please don't just do what I tell you! do what needs to be done: every employee's guide to making work more rewarding.  New York:  Hyperion.

Are you an active participant in meetings?

Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You! is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2008-12-22, Updated: 2009-01-09