9. If you’re in a meeting, say something.

People get nervous speaking in front of others.  Especially if you’re thoughtful, care about what other people think, and don’t want to be wrong. Sound familiar?

Like anything else, half of it is good preparation, knowing your materials, having established the buy in where needed. The other half is muscle memory.

Muscle memory is going through the motions over and over again until you physically master them. Playing a musical instrument, it’s called technique. What happens is that the situation stops being foreign and your body learns to cope. So in anxious situations (like making a presentation), your body will go in flight or fight mode. Either one is not helpful…your mouth gets dry, your pulse raises, it’s hard to speak calmly and clearly.

So practice. Start by making one comment a day in any situation where you’re uncomfortable. Start in a safe zone (like a staff meeting), but say something. Then move into harder territory. Presentations to people outside your group.

The more you do it, the better you get at it. Someone told me her boss said she didn’t speak up enough. But because she was shy, she didn’t know how to change…or if she wanted to. My advice to her? You don’t need to change who you are. But what her boss was telling her that she had something to contribute…and that she needed to do it.  If you can’t speak in front of a group, it signals that you’re not ready for the next step, the next project, and possibly the next promotion.

So use your voice.