The trick women in the White House use to stop being interrupted

If you thought a White House aide was pretty much set for life because she or he has gotten the metaphorical foot in the door, think again. Because once you get your foot in the door, you have to get a seat at the table. And 21st century or not, for women, it's double the work.

With most senior advisers getting selected from the male-dominated ranks of campaigns, high-up female aides often complain that men have more access to the president and often force them out of major policy talks. Jimmy Carter's assistant for public outreach was reportedly never invited to daily meetings where aides offered ideas to the president. Sound familiar?

When even the speaking order in meetings can make a difference, In the hyper-aggressive world of office politics, if we haven't submitted to a non-committal corner at the long table, we're constantly trying to one-up each other. But women in White House are taking a different approach.

Staffers have adopted a strategy they call "amplification." According to an article by the Washington Post, "When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its author. This forced the men in the room to recognise the contribution — and denied them the chance to claim the idea as their own."

And it worked! Obama noticed and began calling on women and junior aides more often. This certainly doesn't just apply for women in politics. Instead of choosing to ignore a good idea someone has brought up or staying quiet about it out of the overwhelming fear of the sound of your own voice, we could choose to support one another.

You don't need to feel obligated to, but if you truly agree with what someone has said and constructive ideas are being made, you should definitely speak, even if you don't have a point of your own, even if it's better than your own idea. Because face it: a meeting where everyone is constantly cutting each other person off, goes nowhere. Plus, if you speak up, you can finally get out of that non-committal dark corner of the table where no one can see you.

It's when you bother to earnestly listen and draw out one or two meaningful thoughts that something substantial is set in motion. So speak up, get acknowledged, engender a culture of support, and avoid getting nicknamed "Mumble", and not affectionately either, behind your back.

Illustration: Amiya Halder