Three ways to influence without speaking

Previously I wrote about why it’s sometimes difficult for introverted people to turn thoughts into words and why it’s a good idea to speak up at work, at least some of the time.

But what about those times when the discussion is dominated by big talkers or the meeting is so poorly managed that you can’t speak, or just don’t want to?

Perhaps it’s possible to be a confident and influential communicator without saying a word?

Instead of striving to speak, you could get your point across by embracing your preference for writing.

Don’t speak

If you’re on the introverted end of the spectrum you probably find it a lot easier to express yourself in writing than you do verbally. So why not make use of that preference rather than competing for airtime with natural talkers?

Here are three ways you could do that:

1.    Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry by writing articles to showcase ideas.

Publish articles on LinkedIn. Start your own blog. Write guest blog posts for popular websites in your field.

You could write about your team’s achievements, reflect on something relevant to your industry or float a provocative idea. Putting ideas down in writing for others to read is a great way to develop influence without ever having to open your mouth.

2.    Use email and briefing papers to communicate ideas to colleagues.

There’s no law that says communication has to be verbal.

When I worked for David Lammy MP I wrote long briefing papers I knew he wouldn’t read. David is an excellent verbal communicator who thinks out loud whereas I prefer to inwardly reflect on ideas before talking. I wrote briefing papers for myself, not him. Writing them helped me think issues through and I was more able to discuss ideas with David because my brain had processed them.

You could use email to communicate what you weren’t able to get across in a meeting. Using email all the time is not recommended – we all have overflowing inboxes – but if you genuinely tried and weren’t able to interject in a fast-moving discussion, or needed time to process your thoughts before you could share them, then say what you wanted to say in an email. 

Keep it succinct - no one wants an essay in their inbox. Stick to a few easy-to-digest bullet points. Before you press send, consider letting recipients know you’re emailing because you needed time to reflect or getting a word in edgeways was hard.

3.    Make use of online tools when working remotely.

If you’re not already using the chat box during video calls, start now. It’s an opportunity to express your ideas in writing in real-time. Or you could use it to let others know you want to speak but are finding it difficult to jump in.

Internal communication tools such as Slack and Workplace could be useful too.

Over to you

What do you think? Does embracing your preference for writing appeal to you? Which of these suggestions could you put into practice? Tell me in the comments below. ??

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