Speak Up To Look Smarter Than You Are

There are some people I hope never see this page.

Well, I like the view presented here
"will tell you that it's no fun being at the front of the group and never getting any feedback from group you're talking to"

With that point of view, I think I could speak more comfortably around others now

Have you ever been in a meeting that you just wanted to end? But there is that one guy who has to ask a million questions because he loves to hear himself talk, and he thinks he is so clever? And because of his questions, the meeting (which should be over) just keeps on going...
Don't encourage them.

I think that it is more about showing others that you are engaged and participating. One way of doing that is being involved in the conversation during meetings. Asking questions, making suggestions or even just focusing on the speaker and not on your blackberry, iphone, laptop. I don't think the article is suggesting you talk for talking sake, or that you have to dominate the conversation, but you do need to participate.

Rodney H Brown

wow. i'm not sure at all that this is true. in my experience, most "frequent talkers" just like to listen to their own voices.

@TunaFish: I was going to say that one! My father uses it often and is on the Board of Trustees for a major organization...

ospreyguy

@sdsdsd: BWAH HA HA HA!!!

ospreyguy

Contrary argument: Clearly (but erroneously) yelling "You lie!" during a Presidential joint session of Congress is not a way to look smarter than you may be. :-p

sdsdsd

I like the explanatory first paragraph in the quote. Speaking up isn't enough; it does have to be tactful speaking.

"Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise..."

I am in the marching band, and we actually use this trick when we play. If one plays louder then they normally do, as a group, we sound better. Yes there are most likely exceptions to the case, but every time I have experienced it, its been better

Why should someone need to appear smarter than they are? That usually means that the one who is "trying to appear smarter than he is" isn't really that smart to begin with.

@suburbancowboy: I think the author of the article is one of them. Unless there is something dire and important to convey I keep my mouth shut because I want the damned meeting to end.

UGAdawg

@sdsdsd: Unless the President is lying. Then you're the man.

junyo

I like this advise, but what about the abusive boss that cuts down any comment said, and twists it in a way that is used against you? In that environment, everyone remains silent.

Luckily for me, I never learn my lesson. Hopefully I am looking smarter for it.

Fantastic article. And, frankly, we should move all the cattle to the Indo-China region.

AmphetamineCrown

Generally, i have experienced and felt the opposite. Be involved, but talkative types often get labeled as time wasters in the boardroom and kiss-up douchebags in the academic world.

Having a good answer when asked--hard to beat and can even be more effective when people underestimate you.

"Frequent talkers are perceived as more intelligent and competent." ...by other dumb people.

sumocat

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

-Abraham Lincoln

Reminds me of the old adage:

It's better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

I do kindof agree with the article though, to a point. People who don't actively participate in discussions generally seem less intelligent, or maybe less informed, or less interested. Or all three. On the other hand, some people just love to talk endlessly even when nothing of worth comes out of their mouths. I do not like people who have diarrhea of the mouth.

J_Frank_Parnell

Too much noise. Too little signal.

I have to blatantly disagree with "Frequent talkers are perceived as more intelligent and competent."

In my (albeit limited) experience, those who do the *most* talking are perceived as time-wasters, self-aggrandizers, or merely boobs. It's *effective" talking that is perceived as intelligent.

Choose words carefully, time them right, and don't overdo it.

"...people who speak up more often in groups are viewed as more competent and more instrumental to a group’s overall success."

The article doesn't link to the supporting research, but I wonder how they established causality. I mean, in circumstances where I am more knowledgeable, confident, and competent than those around me, I tend to talk more. I ask more questions and am more willing to give my opinion. When I am out of my depths, on the other hand, I try to keep my mouth shut (which, I believe, is in everyone's best interest).

This article addresses two variables: talkativeness and the perception of competence. The third variable is actual competence. Until they find a way to control for this last variable, their interpretation of the relationship between the first two is unjustified by mere correlation.

I always hate speaking up in groups. I always get a 'holy shit he's not retarded' reaction.

@KylaNormish: I say it is. Enough people grab hold of this advise, ignoring the qualifiers like they most certainly will, and that promotion you want is in the bag.

jupiterthunder

Back in the day, I memorized the keypresses on my Skytel pager so it would go into "change ringtone" mode. It would play a sample of a tone and I would pretend that my pager was going off.

Luckily, my job was "mission critical" and I got a pass if my pager went off. Unluckily, I had to actually wear a pager.

winshape

@dirtybacon: If by looking smarter you mean looking like an idiot! I can't believe in a room full of competent commenters you decided to ruin it and pipe up. I mean, jeeze, how the hell are you still allowed to comment on this site?

In all seriousness though, people, even abusive bosses like that, like to be challenged to some extent. Or at the very least they respect you for it. It's also a sign that he (she?) is threatened by you.

@Rodney H Brown: I agree with you that it doesn't seem to be about dominating the conversation, but from the blurb (b/c I'm not interested enough to hit the link) it does sound like it's advocating speaking up just because no one else is saying anything. Talk because something demands a response or you have genuine insight (in meeting situations). Not because no one else is talking. There are other ways to give feedback to a presenter and a good boss is going to judge you by your production, not by how much you talk during a meeting. Now, if everyone else has plenty to say and you don't, then there may be question, but I don't think it goes the other way.

Disclaimer: my experience is from the education and residence life fields.

And the pic with this post is awesome.

jupiterthunder

Dwight [Reading suggestions for health-care coverage: Who thought of this one? Anal fissures.
Kevin: That's a real thing.
Dwight Schrute: Yeah, but no one here has it.
Kevin Malone: [quietly] Someone has it.

shadowplay

Yeah, the key here is "The trick won't work if you have no idea what's going on, of course." I've been in a lot of meetings where a lot of people pipe up... most of the time it's not very helpful or related to whatever the meeting is trying to do.

SteveW

I KIND OF LIKE THE IDEA OF SPEAKING UP. THANKS FOR THE TIP! (sorry for yelling)

@SabrinaFaire: "Better to speak up and be heard than to remain silent and ignored" - Sean Masters

The fact is, far too many people don't speak up for one reason or another, and then wonder why things at work or at home aren't moving in the direction they desire.

Speaking up can't hurt so long as you are honest, direct, positive, and have no ultimatums.

Sean Masters

amen. This is not one to forward around the office

KylaNormish

This reads like a perfect recipe for getting yourself hated and disinvited to important meetings.

If you are smart enough to fool most people by asking what are essentially irrelevant questions and discussion that is not germane to the meeting topic or has no substance, you probably don't need to "speak up" at meetings.

By all means pay attention and ask relevant important questions at meetings, but remember meetings are expensive.

Here's a better idea: make yourself actually knowledgeable about the subjects outside of the meetings.

robdew

A closed mouth gathers no feet.

OnTheCastingCouch

total bullshit. They don't think-they just talk and make much ado about nothing.

wahoo-yahoo

Not speaking up in corporate environments also has the potential of NOT getting you fired.

Just sayin.

lwdallas

"...it's no fun being at the front of the group and never getting any feedback from group you're talking to."

True that. I gave a presentation a while back on using a pretty basic tech tool, and no one. said. a. word. Throughout the entire thing. I had thought that this particular audience would be both interested in how they could use te tool and technologically ready to use it, and figured I'd completely flubbed by eaither telling them a bunch of stuff they already knew or a bunch of stuff that was so far from their skill set that it made no sense. I later found out that my talk had been singled out by many attendees as the best and most useful one at the conference. Please, if someone is interesting, let them know in one way or another! Ask questions, make pertinent comments, just freaking engage in some way!

lolagrinnin

Despite what many people here have said, it's invariably been my experience that people who speak frequently and somewhat intelligently (i.e. who don't blather) move up far faster than the wallflowers.

This is true of life in general as well. As much as we might dislike it, people who talk more engage with more people and are seen as energetic. I've had simmering disdain for talkers in offices I've worked in, but it's usually based on jealousy that their talking has moved them forward.

farwest1

It can be a tricky play, though. As someone who makes it a point not to clam up during meetings, I frequently get the feeling that speaking up is seen as dilatory and challenging. Maybe I just ask tough questions, but typically people want meetings to be over and done with, and questions have the annoying side effect of prolonging meetings. That doesn't mean I don't think the questions aren't important or that I stop asking them, though.

krom

"Demonstrate that your objective is the success of your organization and that you want to help. Just the very act of contributing is enough to establish yourself as a key player."

Most posters here would seem to be completely ignoring the above statements. Might want to read the entire article before condemning the act of contributing to your employer's success.

Sean Masters

Isn't there a quote to the effect of "Keep your mouth shut and appear a fool, or open it and remove all doubt?"

ester

My problem is that I attend many meetings with people who love the sounds of their own voice. I find myself NOT speaking up, even when I think I need to say something, because (a) I feel that many of the listeners have become weary of all the talking, and (b) it would require interrupting people, which I don't know how to do without being rude.

Any suggestions?

Snakeophelia

Just what we need...longer meetings because more people speak up even when they do not "absolutely have something critical to add to a business meeting."

nycrite

@Sean Masters: No one is condemning that.

What I think most, if not all, are saying is that speaking when something needs to be said is the way to go. You certainly shouldn't hold back ideas and insight at the risk of someone else sharing them first or them not getting shared at all, but I think the broader notion is that you speak out when you have something to speak out on. The article seems to suggest that you fabricate something to say. If that's a misread, it could just be that it otherwise not be insightful advise for anyone in a position where it could influence how they are perceived. The title may also be of little help b/c it implies something opposite of what the article suggests. Despite any of that, there is always a counterpoint to this type of article.

jupiterthunder

Maybe it varies from organization to organization, but in my company, this is definitely the case. We try not to hire mindless drones; we do our best to compose a company of intelligent, engaged people. We want them to contribute their ideas. We want them to be interested in--and participate in--the success of our business. If people just sit there and take direction, we will miss out on many great questions, discussions, and ideas.

Furthermore, when you share your ideas, others can help you to refine or expand upon those ideas. Or if you're mistaken, they can help you to see why. But none of that happens if you don't speak up.

It reminds me of a saying we had in graduate school: "Some people contribute to discussion by not contributing."

shadowplay

Speak Up to Look Smarter Than You Are ... and make insufferable meetings even longer!

sixsevans

@hank18: Crap...HTML fail....

Am I the only one who first read that as "Sneak up..."? Didn't seem to make much sense at first...Well, I guess ninja skills would make one seem smarter than your average coworker...

@sixsevans: Thank you!

There's definitely a Bell curve here; talk too much or too inanely and your "apparent I.Q." will start to plummet.

taodude

So basically what they're saying is to appear more competent and intelligent, you need to be more competent and intelligent and let everyone know it??

jonbongard

@saintseminole: My thought exactly! Whenever I meet someone who can't shut up, I find that though they are always talking, they never really say anything.

@ester: Indeed! Mark Twain said "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Won't work in every situation...

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." - Proverbs 17:28

genesis2-7

@Joe Geronimo: which makes the point of the article, that when you speak up, you are perceived as being intelligent! or not retarded at any rate ;)

jazzytay

@farwest1: Simply based on the phrase "simmering disdain" I think you should speak up more often.

tauretz

@Snakeophelia: Raise your hand slightly.

I'm not talking about "ooo, ooo, ooo, Pick me, pick me!" elementary school hand raising, but a slight, relaxed raise.

Raise your hand up to about head level (as opposed to the school "well above your head" technique)

Also, make use a casual hand (that means parted fingers that bend naturally, as opposed to the "fully extended, fingers touching each other, stop sign-esque" hand often seen in academic settings)

Something else to remember is that you should probably put your hand back to a resting position after your first few words.

Ultimately this signals that you've reached into the conversation, as opposed to rudely interjected yourself from a distance.

Remember, you're in this meeting because they want your potential input, suggestions, or perspectives. By not talking you wasted their time and a seat they could have used for someone more willing to help.

Of course, only speak when you have something insightful to add (comment, perspective, better word choice, etc) or you genuinely don't understand.

Questions are valuable since they show the speaker when they could use some clarification. If you're in this meeting it's most likely because you have some sort of insight they feel may help. If you seriously feel that you don't belong in this meeting (a carpenter in a Quantum physicists' meeting) then feel free to keep quite since you'll likely be asking rudimentary questions.

It's really a balancing act. Some things are understood in certain context.

I know when I organize a meeting (formal or informal) it's because I expect everyone I invited to participate. It's like inviting people to a party; if you find out that some people you invite are bringing down the overall mood, you'll make sure they can't even contribute the next time around.

ReynaldoRiv

@jonbongard: The key part is "let everyone know it"

orev

@genesis2-7: And then there's Ezekiel 23:20.

rockhopper

@saintseminole: Choose words carefully, time them right, and don't overdo it.

Exactly! this is not about talking everyone else into a coma! It is about making a thoughtful observation, or asking a thoughtful question to promote thoughtful discussion.

jazzytay

And that's the bible

jensbodal

@TheLouis: I 100% agree. Sometimes LH comes up with some ridiculous ideas; listen to Twain.

jensbodal

Uhh... careful with this one guys.

If you don't have anything intelligent to say, STFU. Seriously.

TheLouis

"No one is asking you to fake competence here. No one is asking you to pretend you know something you don't, or to spout nonsense, or to shout people down, or to fall in love with the sound of your own voice." That's probably the reason it doesn't work for Bill O'Reilly, he does all the don'ts.

caliaa

@lolagrinnin: Amen. I used to have a teacher who liked to say "I want students, not stenographers. Everybody put your notebooks away and talk to me."

Never speak for effect. Always speak to advance the goal of the meeting. Never attend a meeting which doesn't have a goal.

Isernhagen

I too have to blatantly disagree with "Frequent talkers are perceived as more intelligent and competent."

The talkers that tend to rise up are the one's saying what the boss wants to hear. Say something the boss doesn't want to hear and you won't be on the "preferred" list anytime soon. Never say anything at all and you will be completely overlooked, just the way some people like it...

It varies by meeting - some are legitimate open forums for discussion, others are just broadcast contests for the Type-A crew. If these people were on Ethernet they would be shutdown due to high long packaet counts and anti-babble logic.

Get a meeting with a few A-Types spouting about new directions, technology or problem solving and the MiQ (meeting intelligence quotient) drops rapidly. Once it goes below 50, I shut up and hope for a power outage or earthquake or anything that will shutdown the meeting ASAP.

Area51Resident

Well, this might be a norm in Western culture, but in Eastern culture, those who speak up too much is generally perceived as smart aleck.

Firebrand

@rockhopper: Teehee.

zjgz

This would have been a good graphic for this story.

[explodingdog.com]

shadowplay