Why you should Speak up for yourself at Work
Some people can speak up and out no matter where they are, even at work. These people have no problem voicing their opinions about how they are being treated or volunteering ideas in company/department meetings. They see no point in being a "shrinking violet", especially at work.
There are other people who take the more subtle approach, opting to not speak up as often. Whether they are afraid of drawing attention to themselves or are simply lacking in self-confidence, this group rarely says anything in the workplace. This can be a bad way to spend the workdays each week. If you are one of those people who does not speak up at work, you may not realize that this could be keeping yourself down. Learning how and when to speak up for yourself canbenefityou and your career in a few ways.
Confidence
The truth is confidence is something required to succeed in most areas of life, and sometimes even more so at work. Confidence helps you do your best during a presentation, while working on a project and even when speaking to customers/clients and coworkers. Confidence shows in the way you carry yourself, how you speak to other people and how you allow them to speak to you.
When an employee shows a lack of confidence, this can almost be a warning signal to coworkers and management. The warning is that the employee may not be right for certain projects or tasks. If coworkers and upper management develop this opinion of you, you may have a hard time advancing. If you do not have confidence in yourself, then no one else will either.
No nonsense
This is a big deal in the workplace: bullies. Yes, there are bullies in the workplace, some people never grow up and leave that stuff back at the playground. The workplace bully may think it is fun to put a coworker down for the way he/she dresses or a hundred other childish things. Bullies are not the only "nonsense" a person might be confronted with at work, there are also the people that think it is appropriate to hand out sexual innuendos while on company time.
Knowing how to speak up can put a halt to childish bullies and perverts. If you do not stand up for yourself, these types of coworkers (and even customers) are going to keep viewing you as someone they can harass and run over any time they want to. Standing up for yourself does not mean you have to stoop to their level, it means not sitting and quietly taking workplace abuse. You can report them, confront them yourself (with witnesses present) or even go to the authorities if things start escalating. By speaking up for yourself, these types of people will figure you are not someone they can bother anymore.
Active role in the workplace
One more great reason for speaking up for yourself is so that you can make your ideas heard. You are part of that company and have as much right to voice your opinions, thoughts and ideas as everyone else. The trick is you have to voice those thoughts and ideas so your coworkers and management can hear you (and this does not mean shout).
Voicing concerns, ideas, and opinions lets coworkers get a better idea of who you are and how you plan on contributing to the company. It shows that you plan on being an active and involved member of the team/department. This can help them build trust and confidence in working with you.
The main thing to remember when speaking up for yourself at work is to not do it rudely and be consistent. Consistency means that you know when to speak up and when to not speak up. Consistency also means saying something and then following through with it. You certainly do not want to develop the reputation as a blow hard who never actually accomplishes anything!
There are many reasons for learning how to speak up for yourself at work. For one thing, it can prove you will not take nonsense from anyone and for another thing it shows you are willing to take an active role at work. Speaking up for yourself lets people see who you are and what you are about, at work.
