Using Your Voice - From Intimidating to Effortless

Fun fact: I love singing ?? at the top of my lungs to 80s on 8 and First Wave when I’m listening to SiriusXM in my car. On a recent road trip to visit my family in the DC area, my husband and son braced themselves for little talk and lots of Duran Duran to escape from my mouth - loudly - for the nearly four-hour drive.?

While I feel bold when singing in my car, around the house, or even at karaoke (ask any of my grad school friends - they will verify), when I was an emerging leader, using my voice loudly and boldly was TERRIFYING.

Thoughts that would come up for me constantly included:

?? If I share my idea in this meeting, I’ll be a laughing stock.

?? If I disagree with my manager, I’ll get reprimanded, demoted, or even fired.

?? I believe the process we’ve been using isn’t efficient, but it’s always been done this way, so it must be better than the way I’m thinking of.

The common theme you are noticing above? That’s right - when it came to speaking up for things I believed in, my imposter ?? would get the best of me.?

If you can relate to my story, trust me, you are not alone. I hear this from clients time and again - their inner critic keeps them from using their voice. It keeps us safe and protected. It also keeps us from taking risks and creating forward momentum.

In my own story, I eventually learned that if I didn’t speak up, nothing would change. I started to challenge myself and eventually got more and more comfortable with speaking up in various situations at work.

Was I always heard? No.?

Were my ideas always adopted? Definitely not.

But let me tell you, what did come out of using my voice almost always led to, at the very minimum, productive dialogue. And at best? You can just imagine - I was able to help make a significant impact for the business.?

And that is what gave me courage to continue going beyond my comfort zone.? It also allowed me to grow as a leader.

When the people I work with are faced with this dilemma, I invariably ask them, what happens if you don’t speak up? And what are the possibilities if you do? And from there, they can make resonant choices about how they want to proceed.?

Sometimes they start in a safe space, testing out an idea with someone they trust. Sometimes they’ll go all out and speak up in a large staff meeting. No matter what the case, time and again, the feedback I get is typically along the lines of: “Tracy, that felt GREAT! You’ll never believe what happened next...”

If you’ve been reluctant to use your voice in the workplace, ask yourself the same questions I ask my clients:

?? What happens if I don’t speak up??

?? What could happen if I do?

Let me know how this works for you - and if you do end up being bold and making yourself heard, I’d love to hear the outcome - drop me a note and let me know how it goes!

Singing you to success, Tracy

I have three 1:1 coaching spots open in May. If you are interested in learning more, you can book a free intro call here!

I also offer group coaching and team facilitation, and can tailor offerings to the specific needs of your workplace. Contact me to learn more.

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