How quiet people can make a stronger impression in meetings

Meetings are usually intimidating, and if you are not someone who can talk your way out of criminal cases, speaking up where you are supposed to contribute can be very difficult.  And if you are the big boss, having an introverted team member can be challenging. It's not that these people don't have anything to contribute; they are shy and blow up the whole situation in their head to such a scale that they basically tie up their own tongue.

This can all be fixed of course, gradually. And if the boss takes it upon himself to help the process along, it's beneficial for the whole team in the long run. For those who are introverted, it is important to realise that your input is valued ­– you are in the team for a reason. Take some time to prepare beforehand, study up on the agenda of the meeting and keep notes on what you plan to say. During the meeting, try to get your thoughts out as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more intimidating it will seem to make an opening.

Now another factor that intimidates the introverted is being interrupted, and not being able to take the floor back. Others will interrupt you; they will run off on tangents from what you said. That does not mean you have to stop talking and shrink back into yourself. Politely tell them that you had a few more thoughts on this, and take the floor back. It gets easier with time. In time, you might not become the most talkative person at the table, but getting across what needs to be told will be no trouble at all.

The boss on the other hand has the opportunity to make things easier for everyone. As a former boss says, "There are always people on the team who will find it difficult to speak out. You just encourage them to speak up about their idea, give them the floor, and not make fun of them for speaking. It gets easier with time for them to speak up usually."