How to be seen, heard and acknowledged

Among the many statistics that she shared, diversity and inclusion expert Tina Varughese said that women are twice as likely to be interrupted during a meeting (even by women). She shared the following strategies for being seen, heard and acknowledged.

Take up space

With your stance, ideas and convictions

Be aware of language

Avoid prefacing your opinions with phrases like:

“I’m not sure this is right, but ...”

“I’m just a ...”

Avoid “upspeaking” 

When people are nervous, their voice naturally tends to rise at the end of a spoken statement, making the statement sound like a question. This conveys that they’re lacking conviction in their opinion, which undermines their level of influence among others.

"Diversity is who’s on the team. Inclusion is who gets to play."

Tina Varughese, diversity and inclusion expert