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Whether you’re a seasoned professional in a new role or new to the world of work, self doubt or imposter syndrome can cause all manner of problems. Speaking up in meetings is often top of the list of experiences people feel less confident about when they enter a new role or a new company. We put together a few tips to boost your confidence and share your valuable contributions with your team. Understand Your Role in the Meeting: Before you can speak up effectively, it’s important to understand why you’ve been invited to the meeting in the first place. Are you there to gain insights, provide updates, or contribute your expertise? Once you know your role, you can tailor your contributions and prepare accordingly. Do you need to come armed with questions or insights?  Start by Asking Questions: If you’re feeling hesitant about speaking up, start by asking questions. This is a great way to get involved in the conversation without having to commit to a full-blown statement. Plus, it shows that you’re engaged and interested in what others have to say. Some of the best advice I received back at the start of my career was, “when meeting new people be interested, don’t try too hard to be interesting.” Advocate for Others: Another way to build confidence is to advocate for others. If someone else has made a point that you agree with, reinforce it or ask a clarifying question. This shows that you’re engaged and that you’re willing to support your colleagues. Summarise (and Add Your Take): If you want to contribute your own thoughts, try summarising what someone else has said and then adding your own take on the point. This shows that you’ve been listening attentively and that you have something valuable to contribute. Avoid merely repeating what others have said. This is only valuable if you have an extension on an existing statement or additional context to add. Don’t Apologise for Contributing: When you do speak up, don’t apologise for making a contribution. Never say, “I’m sorry, but I disagree.” Instead, use phrases like, “I see it differently” or “I’d like to share a different perspective.” As soon as you say “I disagree…” you will shift the energy of the conversation. Try using these alternate phrases and see how differently your disagreement is received. Create a Trigger Phrase: If you find yourself hesitating to speak up, try creating a trigger phrase for yourself. This could be something like, “I’d like to contribute something” or “I’d like to add something to what [colleague’s name] said.” Having a trigger phrase can help you overcome your initial hesitation and get started. Let People Know Who You Are: Finally, one of the best ways to build confidence in meetings is to position yourself and communicate your style prior to the meeting. This can create a positive and collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up in their own way. As an introvert and reflector, when I begin working with a new team, I position myself first. I might say, “I’m a reflector, so in meetings I tend to be quiet and listen and reflect before speaking. If I’m quiet, it’s because I’m listening and reflecting, not sitting back. Similarly, if you need to verbalise to absorb or reflect, let your team know prior to the meeting. People who could have previously seen you as chaotic, will now understand that’s just how you work and will be aware of your need to verbalise to absorb the content.  When people are comfortable to contribute authentically you will find their contributions are more effective.  Speaking up in meetings can be daunting, but by understanding your role, starting with questions, advocating for others, summarising, and positioning yourself, you can build confidence and contribute effectively.  If you have other advice that you would share with someone who was building confidence in meetings, please let us know.

Navigating Organisational Growth: Is Your Infrastructure Ready? Those of you that know me, know that I love an analogy. This one resonated recently – taken from Culture Built My Brand by Mark Miller & Ted Vaughn. Imagine a living space. It’s basic but it has everything you need – and you’re just getting started so it doesn’t need to be fancy. As long as it has running water, waste water disposal, electricity, heating, a roof, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat, somewhere to rest – you’re all set. But then imagine you attract a mate. Now you need a bit more room, you use a bit more water, the bed needs to be bigger – and the table. They also bring with them a TV, maybe a wireless device. Now you need another plug socket – and WiFi. Soon your friends find out about your idyllic little hide away. So you build an extension, a second and third bedroom, another bathroom and a sun deck. It’s a great place. Even more people find out about your great place and come to visit but this time they stay. So together, you build another extension, you build up and you build out! Everything is great until your fuse board blows and your pipes block – creating a mess. This leads to your guests scrambling to get in their cars, desperate to move on to somewhere nicer. Growth businesses can be like this. The same infrastructure that underpinned a startup is often expected to serve a scale up – and beyond. Your processes can be impacted the same way. They can become convoluted as you bolt on and build out as a result of growth. All of a sudden your people are jumping through hoops that you created to help them work more efficiently. If your pipes aren’t fit for purpose and your fuse board is about to blow, it might be time to take a step back and look at your systems, processes and culture before your people scramble for their cars. To help you to do this Human have developed a Culture Capture Audit to identify challenges within organisations. Covering 12 areas we help identify what’s working well and where opportunities to improve exist. In the past we’ve identified operational drag, flight risk, as well as the good stuff and the great stuff. We’ve also captured amazing stories of employees going over and above, even saving lives – stories that weren’t captured (or shared) centrally. The Culture Capture Audit will help capture the essence of your organisation, as seen by your people. It will also identify all the issues and opportunities below the surface level, letting you know if your pipes are about to burst before they do. How’s your plumbing holding up? If you want to find out, get in touch and let’s start a conversation. Click here to book your call.

Back in 2019, we spoke with Alan Taylor about his career and the challenges he faced back then. Recently we spoke with Alan again to understand the challenges he was facing post COVID and the changes that had taken place in the HR landscape as he sees it. What challenges are you currently facing as an HR leader in 2023? Alan Taylor: In many ways, the challenges are still rooted in people, but they’ve evolved. We’ve experienced substantial growth in the last four years, with multiple acquisitions and an expanded organisational structure. Challenges persist in managing the people aspect, especially when supporting operations across 24 countries with 29 factories. The local focus is crucial, considering the diverse cultures across locations, ranging from urban China to rural Slovakia. How has Volex addressed these challenges, especially with the growth and acquisitions? Our approach has been twofold. Locally, we focus on plant reputation, ensuring each factory is a great place to work. We’ve implemented employee referral programs to engage our workforce, emphasising that these programs thrive when the factory environment is positive. Globally, managing talent complexity is a key aspect. Integrating a global function across five regions brings challenges in managing policies, change, and addressing cybersecurity concerns. It’s a complex landscape, more so than four years ago. Considering the impact of the pandemic, how has Volex managed hybrid and remote working, especially in a multinational organisation? Interestingly, we didn’t face significant issues. Our senior team was already largely home-based, scattered across the world. While travel was restricted, we seamlessly continued operations through global collaboration platforms like Teams. Our plants, producing essential components, remained open throughout the pandemic. Managing employee rotation to ensure occupancy levels helped to enhance safety. Overall, the impact on our operational model was minimal. Moving closer to home, can you share insights into Volex’s culture and how it’s maintained across diverse regions? Volex is primarily a manufacturer, specialising in power cords, connectors and related technologies. Our DNA revolves around getting electricity from the grid safely to a variety of appliances. We also delve into data centre products and offer assembly services for complex equipment like imaging systems. The culture is customer-first, emphasising quality, reliability, and sustainability. With 29 plants globally, the local culture plays a crucial role. Each plant, with its unique workforce, fosters a community feel, contributing to the broader customer-focused culture at the group level. Considering Volex’s growth and cultural uniformity efforts, what are the hiring needs and challenges you face with such a structure? The senior team underwent changes to align with a five-year growth plan. Pre-pandemic, we transitioned to a regional operating model, empowering regional heads to manage operations in their territories. Talent needs are driven by product expansion and business growth. With 95% of recruitment happening at the factory level, it’s a dynamic process that has to respond to demand fluctuations. How does Volex approach recruitment strategies, especially with such dynamic talent needs? Our strategy involves common practices like the employee referral program and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn. Analytics from LinkedIn guide our approach, with workshops then enhancing team efficiency. While we use external recruiters when needed, we’re gradually shifting toward a promote-from-within culture. The focus is on metrics, tracking external hires versus internal promotions, ultimately investing in internal talent development to reduce our reliance on external recruitment. Volex’s journey from 2019 to 2023 highlights the organisation’s adaptability to evolving challenges, a commitment to local and global cultures, and strategic shifts in talent acquisition and development. If you would like to start a conversation about People & Culture or have insights to share with our audience, please get in touch to start a conversation today.