Overcome Your Fear of Speaking by Focusing on Risks You Won’t Take
Conflict is usually best avoided, but sometimes important issues arise that can only be resolved through difficult conversation. Instead of worrying about all the bad things that might happen when you speak, focus on what will happen if you don’t.
It is perfectly normal to feel a little fearful when you think about a confrontation. You probably want to fix the problem, but you don’t want to upset people, make them lash out at you, or create a much bigger problem than the one that already exists. However, keeping everything to yourself at all times is not ideal, and living in fear of speaking openly means you will almost never get your way. If you want to get rid of your fear of speaking out, Travis Bradburry of Inc. invites you to identify the risks if you do not:
The quickest way to motivate yourself to get into difficult conversations is to simply formulate a price tag that makes you not speak … those who constantly speak up are not necessarily bolder; they are simply more accurate. First, they carefully check what might happen if they don’t report it. Second, they think what might happen if they talk and everything goes well.
It is still important to weigh the risks and determine what might happen if something goes wrong, but identify the other risks first. The good can outweigh the bad, or what you thought was bad doesn’t really matter. It is true that some things are best left out, but you don’t want your own prohibitions to stop you from ever being heard .