Lead Lines

Speak Up Already

Leslie L. Kossoff is tired of hearing people say, “I thought of that,” and “I knew this would happen.” In her management.about.com article, “Talking Out Loud,” Kossoff talks about the importance of speaking up. 

“Information is not power. That’s a fallacy,” she says.

By the time a sales professional thinks about a tidbit of information, someone else has likely already acted upon it. Because information today changes and expires constantly, the thoughts and ideas of a company’s employees are its greatest resource.

Kossof offers these reminders about being outspoken:

• Be serious. It’s far more important than simply sharing ideas; it’s about helping your company.

• Be open. When two people disagree, the best thing to do is consider one another’s ideas and try to build better ideas from both.

• Be tough. Try not to take debates and arguments personally.

• Be bold. “Your thoughts have no limits. Neither do you,” Kossoff writes.

“Once you get your thinking out of your brain and into words, the next most important step is to take action based on those thought sand words,” Kossof explains. 

What are some of the challenges you face when trying to speak up in a meeting? How do you deal with them? Please comment and tell us all about it!