If women want to be heard—should we shout or whisper? None of the above!!! Do these 5 things instead.

Current and aspiring executive women want and need their ideas and voices to be heard in the C-Suite, down the hall, in the boardroom, in the lab, the program office, and basically everywhere!

Our education, life experiences, experiments and creativity prove to be invaluable to an organization, and it's because of the diversity of the input from women that the quality of the organizations output is superior.?

But as hard as women try, our voices get lost or ignored, spoken over, repeated with no acknowledgement given, or challenged in any number of situations.

And when our voices are not heard, our contributions are sub-optimized, and it's nearly impossible to make a full or lasting impact in our organizations.

The organization has not optimized the return on its investment in women if we are not able to fully be heard.?

How can we think , position, and act differently so our voices are heard for positive impact? ?

First, you need to BELIEVE and KNOW that ?you have ideas, suggestions or observations that are uniquely yours and bring value to the discussion. What your mind says about you will influence the actions you take and those actions will determine your results. Keep your mind in the right place! ?

Second, do not ask yourself IF you belong in the room or at the table you find yourself at. Believe me, no company is giving high titles or high positions away. You earned your way there, so practice your visualization and see yourself sharing your super powers in the room as you help level up the organization.?

Let's think about the places you may spend your time and where your voice should be heard.?Here are five ?ways to achieve this, along with scenarios where they can be effectively applied. ?

1. Leverage Storytelling in Presentations—facts tell but stories sell.

• Scenario:?During board or strategic presentations.
• Approach:?Use storytelling to convey complex ideas and strategies. By framing your data or proposals within compelling narratives, you can capture peoples attention and make your points more memorable. This way your expertise is highlighted, and you will connect emotionally and more memorably with your audience.?

2. Further?Develop Your Brand as a thought leader on Digital?Platforms, at company events, or at industry/trade conferences.

• Scenario: ?Outside of traditional work settings, such as on LinkedIn or industry forums.
• Approach:?Volunteer to share insights, expertise and thought leadership on professional networks or even on a TED talk. What are you ?known for? What should you be known for?

Share your experience in a deeper way in online discussions or by publishing articles, establishing yourself as a publicly known expert in your fields.

Peers and industry leaders will hear your voice, and be attracted to your wisdom and expertise.

This digital or on stage presence will amplify your voice and possibly open doors to new opportunities as you influence a broader audience.

3. Consider creating or leading Cross-Functional or Cross enterprise Initiatives including change programs.

• Scenario:?When you share your expectations or updates on ?company-wide challenges or innovation projects.
• Approach:?Do this by proactively proposing, owning or leading initiatives that require collaboration across different departments. This not only will showcase your leadership skills but will also position you as a central figure in driving change and innovation. It demonstrates your ability to manage diverse teams and deliver results, enhancing your brand, visibility and influence. ?

4. Be known as a developer of organizational talent by serving as a mentor or sponsor to high potential leaders.?

• Scenario:?Within the organization or industry networks.
• Approach:?Actively seek out and participate in mentorship and sponsorship programs, as mentor and as protégé. By mentoring others, you will demonstrate leadership and influence, and while you are being mentored by senior leaders you will get career guidance and possible sponsorship. Sponsors can help you gain access to high-visibility projects and leadership roles.

5. This final one is not for the faint of heart! Seek High-Profile Projects —aka the “glass cliff”.

• Scenario: When volunteering for assignments.
• Approach: Take ownership of strategic initiatives that showcase leadership skills and align with company objectives.

Taking on a glass cliff assignment can be a way for women to have their voices heard, as it places them in high-visibility leadership roles during critical moments. However, these roles are often precarious and come with heightened risks of failure due to systemic biases, lack of resources, and increased scrutiny.

One of my mentors , Karen L at J&J suggested I take a glass cliff challenge. She had done a glass cliff assignment and in large part because of her success with the glass cliff initiative, she was named Company Group Chair at Johnson and Johnson. ?

A glass cliff is an assignment you take that has three key characteristics. First, it’s highly valuable and important for the company: Second, it is therefore highly visible to executives. Third — it is likely to be a nearly impossible job. ?

She sufficiently warned me of the pros and cons.?

I got promoted after I took on an impossible, visible and valuable project.?

I finally made it to the table as VP IT where my voice was going to be heard.?

But getting to the table where your voice is heard is one thing. Knowing how, when and where to exercise your voice, and be respected and listened to is just as important. Using it too much or too little can have consequences. ?

Get out there and let your voice be heard—this is YOUR WIN!

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