How to get permission to be heard

How to Get Permission to Be Heard Have you ever been in a discussion and had an important and useful idea to share but found the audience shutting you down or ignoring you? Yet, a colleague next to you seemed to be getting more attention for his/her mediocre ideas. It can be frustrating, especially if you are communicating correctly and the benefits of your idea are very clear. Many of you will buckle down and think of ways to explain your ideas more clearly, speak more confidently and articulately. You may even go off to develop a business case to convince the group. Sometimes that helps, but often you just do not have permission to be heard, acknowledged and accepted. In a simple example of permission, let's assume you were in a meeting with a group of Ivy League MBAs and you were a community college graduate. Before the meeting even begins, many in the group have decided you do not have their permission to be heard because they do not think you could possibly have anything useful to say. Every single time you speak, the default response of the group is to assume you are incorrect and they will search…