A Guide to Speaking Up at Work When Youre Shy

A Guide to Speaking Up at Work When You're Shy Image via Pixabay.com Practice what you need to say beforehand This might seem like something you’d do to prepare for a public speaking class instead of a real-life situation. Don’t write this idea off as being silly just yet. Preparation is the key to success. It can be easy for shy people to get nervous once they’re face-to-face with another person. Your mind starts reeling, and you start panicking, and the next the thing you know … you’ve forgotten half of the things you wanted to tell this person, be it a coworker or your supervisor. That’s a problem. Nervously spewing half of your message isn’t why you wanted to talk to the person. You want to make sure that you state everything that needs to be said. That’s where practicing comes in. If you take the time to practice for a few minutes before you have to face the real situation, you will find it easier to recall everything that needed to be said. Sit in front of the mirror and practice what you want to say to this person (or group of people) for a couple of minutes to an hour. Make sure you cover everything! It might help you to remember if you write down a list of points you’d like to address. Read over them a couple of times, then practice without looking at your paper. Pretty soon, you’ll have it memorized. Just remember, when you get in front of the people you need to talk to, take a deep breath and do it just like you rehearsed. It will curb your anxiety knowing that you have what you want to say memorized. Remember your strengths If you’re a college student, you might find that you’re among the youngest of employees to work at your job. This may make you feel like you should listen to those who are older than you or that you have nothing to contribute. Get rid of those thoughts, pronto! You have so much to offer your job, including a fresh, new perspective. If you’re too scared to offer your perspective, you’re really doing a disservice to your company! Never doubt what you bring to the company. You have your own strengths and viewpoints that are valuable; don’t let yourself think otherwise! If you’re shy, your mind will try to keep your voice locked up. You’ve got to remind yourself of your strengths and let your voice be heard! See if you can talk to a supervisor one-on-one Do you get shy or nervous when you are made to speak in a large group of people? It might be easier for you to pull your supervisor aside and ask if you can speak to them alone, preferably in their office. At times, it’s just easier for shy people to focus when there is just one person that you need to voice your opinions to. Shyness can stop you from reaching your full potential in the workplace, if you’re not careful. Speaking up at work when you’re shy isn’t always easy but it is the right the thing to do. You’ll feel much better sharing your opinions rather than keeping them bottled up inside of you. Good luck!