50 Eye-Opening Ways To Speak Up For Yourself

Some people think that speaking up is about defending themselves from toxic and rude people or saying no to other people’s requests. They imagine speaking up as this epic and loud confrontation that ends in bloody breakups and forever enemies that never speak again.

The reality is that speaking up is important for most interactions with other people where there is a purpose for that interaction.

For example, a random chit chat about the weekend that has no clear outcome doesn’t require you to speak up.

But if you want something out of that interaction, if you have a clear purpose, then you are in speaking up territory, you are deliberate and on a positive mission.

Sometimes the purpose of speaking up is as complex as getting a promotion. But sometimes the purpose of speaking up is as simple as feeling heard and understood. That’s why speaking up is purpose driven. It is about expressing yourself to other people with an intention.

That’s why the more control you want to have over your own life and career and the faster you want to advance your goals, the more you need to speak up.

Here are 50 opportunities to speak up at work that will bring you closer to your dreams, to your desired lifestyle, and success.

1. Share your perspective in a conversation
2. Contribute in meetings
3. Share your values to your team or in your company
4. Disagree with your boss or a superior
5. Ask for the opportunity you want
6. Ask for the resources and training you want or need to be more successful
7. Ask for the pay that you deserve
8. Ask other people to change their behaviors
9. Ask to take time off or use your vacation days
10. Ask to leave early or come in later to better attend to your personal needs
11. Ask for clarification when you don’t understand something
12. Protect your time and energy
13. Say no to unreasonable requests
14. Get your boss to stop micromanaging you
15. Get your rude colleague to stop saying bad things about you to others by email
16. Fight for what you believe
17. Refuse to be silenced
18. Tell people to back off politely
19. Politely deal with people who interrupt you
20. Interrupt others in a respectful way
21. Handle credit stealing
22. Give people candid feedback without hurting their feelings
23. Share honest praise
24. Receive compliments in a way that makes people want to give you more
25. Express appreciation
26. Reach out to your networks
27. Show others what you’ve accomplished
28. Share your vision
29. Get other people’s buy in for your idea
30. Express your expectations to others
31. Better understand other people’s feedback
32. Stand up for others
33. Stand up for yourself
34. Help promote someone else
35. Protect and amplify your power
36. Negotiate for what you want
37. Find a mentor or sponsor
38. Get yourself into the meeting you want to be in
39. Get the appreciation you deserve
40. Build rapport and deepen connections with people
41. Get people to respect you
42. Get people to take you seriously
43. Negotiate better pay or working conditions
44. Fight for your team’s growth and safety
45. Bring joy to the hard conversation
46. Put people at ease in an uncomfortable conversation
47. Push people to be better and more productive in a motivating way
48. Make people feel heard and valued while still getting your point across
49. Share your elevator pitch when networking
50. Ask for an introduction

What you have to say is valuable, important, and meaningful, no matter your status, title, or age. Your speaking up voice will help protect what is important to you, resolve conflict, achieve greater things, have better relationships, and find lasting happiness.

Make speaking up a part of your daily life. Make it a proactive step rather than just a reactive defense. And get comfortable and good at speaking up for massive confidence in your ability to lead the life of your dreams.

Assertive communication is a skill that helps you speak up in a respectful and effective way. Start to learn assertive communication today by taking this free crash course on how to be assertive without being rude here.