Overcome Invisibility: Claiming Your Space When Overlooked In Meetings

Being overlooked in a meeting can extinguish the flicker of confidence we hold onto in professional settings.

Earlier in her career, Lisa, now a VP in the healthcare sector, was the only woman in a conference room full of men. Sounds familiar ladies in male-dominated fields?

On this particular day, as the men exchanged introductions, Lisa was visibly ignored. The meeting kicked off without acknowledgment of her presence.

“In those moments, I often questioned my place,” Lisa recalls. “Do I belong here? In this room? In this conversation?” Doubts like these can be paralyzing, yet Lisa knew she had to claim her space. “You belong, but you also have to forge that sense of belonging,” she shared.

In those moments, I often questioned my place: Do I belong here? In this room? In this conversation? You belong, but you also have to forge that sense of belonging. – Lisa

With a blend of courage and determination, Lisa interrupted the meeting. “Excuse me,” she interjected, introducing herself, her role, and her purpose in the meeting. Her interruption caught the room off guard, slicing through the awkwardness with a knife.

“It was uncomfortable, but I’m glad I did it. If there’s a conversation happening, I belong in this room, and I have a perspective to share,” Lisa stated firmly, remembering her right to be there just as much as anyone else.

Initial invisibility in a meeting is a challenge, but by making yourself visible, you can change the dynamic. When you make yourself seen, people will listen more attentively. And when people listen, your impact magnifies.

If there’s a conversation happening, I belong in this room, and I have a perspective to share. – Lisa

Reflect

• Consider the last time you were ignored in a meeting. Did you speak up or remain silent? If you chose silence, why? If you spoke up, how did you do it, and did people take you more seriously?
• Reflect on a time when you felt overlooked in a professional setting. How did it make you feel, and what thoughts ran through your mind? Did you question your belonging in that space?
• Have you ever had to assert your presence or claim your space in a meeting? What strategies did you use, or could you use in the future, to ensure you’re not only seen but also heard?
• Recall a moment when you successfully made yourself visible in a discussion where you were initially ignored. What did you do to shift the dynamic, and how did others react to your intervention?

Finding Your Unapologetic Persistent Voice

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