Know when to listen and when to speak

It can be hard to get the balance right?of when to listen and when to speak at work.?You don't want to be the office blowhard,?commenting on anything and everything?just to hear yourself talk,?but you also don't want to be the wallflower,?so quiet no one's even sure what you do or why you're there.?So how can you tell what's the right move when??

Here are some ways to think about it.?A great time to listen?is when you don't know the context of a situation.?Let's say you're new at your job?or you've just joined a project team?that's been together for a while.?They have a shared history,?and they know what's been tried before,?and what worked and what didn't.?There are also likely complex dynamics?you're not aware of between people on the team?or between different departments.?If you come in with all the answers,?you're likely to get knocked down fast?because you don't understand the background.?

In that situation, sit back and listen,?so you can have the knowledge?to speak authoritatively later on.?Another good time to listen?is when you don't have a strong opinion.?If half the team is passionate about option one,?and the other believes?that it should definitely be option two,?don't take up airspace?if you don't have something to contribute.?If you happen to see holes or virtues?in one of their arguments, by all means, dive in.?But if you could go either way,?let the advocates debate and you can learn.?On the other hand, you should definitely speak up?when you have germane experience to offer.?

You may have just joined a new project team,?but if you worked on a similar project?in the Asia Pacific region, for instance,?you're doing a disservice to everyone?if you don't share that.?That's not to say that the new team will?or should adopt everything you did before wholesale,?but it's useful for you to talk about what you did,?so your team members have more data at their disposal.?Even if you don't have relevant personal experience,?you should speak up if you have useful resources to share.?Maybe you read an article in the Harvard Business Review?that applies perfectly to your team's situation.

?Now would be the time to mention it.?Another good time to speak up,?and this is the flip side of a point I mentioned earlier,?is when you do have a strong opinion.?If you believe your company or your team is heading?in the wrong direction,?you have an obligation to let others know,?even if they don't want to hear it.?After all, why are you there??It's not to be a yes man.?It's because someone hired you because they believed?you had an important perspective to share.?So even if it's not popular, do it.?

If you think the merger will fail, say it.?If you think the change in accounting policy?will get you in trouble with the SEC, say it.?People may disagree or you may be overruled,?but you'll feel better about yourself,?and you'll have done your duty to your company?if you say your piece openly and honestly.?Finally, another good time to speak up?is if you can ask an incisive question.?Speaking doesn't always have to be about pontificating?or sharing your view.?It can be about eliciting others' ideas and perspectives,?and that can add to everyone's experience.?It's an art learning when to talk and when to listen,?but if you master it,?you'll win the respect of everyone around you.