Hey there,

Last week, someone shared this with me:
​
​I need to find a way to communicate my ideas so people will see them as valuable.
I want to share what I'm capable of without sounding arrogant.
​But I keep getting silenced or interrupted when I try to speak. ​
How do I get heard when people are loud and won't stop talking?

It resonated because she captured the exact catch-22 so many people face:
​you want to communicate what you're capable of, but you're terrified of coming across as bragging.

​

Here's the thing about meetings

Many meetings favor one communication style: think out loud, jump in fast, speak over others to be heard.

If that's not how you naturally communicate - if you prefer to think before speaking, or you like to listen and understand the full context before sharing your perspective - you're already at a disadvantage.

It's not that one style is better than the other.
But when meetings only reward the "jump in and speak up" approach, we lose a lot of valuable insights from people who process differently.

And that's especially problematic when we're making data decisions that require careful analysis, not just quick reactions.

​

The real problem isn't you

If you've ever felt like you're "bragging" when you try to share your work - you're not alone.

If you've walked out of meetings frustrated because the right questions never got asked - I get it.

If you've watched someone take credit for your approach while you sat there not knowing how to speak up - been there too.

The problem isn't that you're not assertive enough.

The problem is that most workplace communication assumes everyone thinks out loud.

​

What actually works (without changing who you are)

Here are some ways I've seen work for people who are not very vocal in meetings (but have a lot of invaluable ideas to share):

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1. Set expectations upfront

Before you start sharing, say something like: "I have three key points about this analysis. The first one is..."

This tells people you're not done after one sentence. It buys you speaking time.

​

2. Use the "pause and continue" technique

When someone interrupts (and they will), pause. Let them finish briefly.

Then say: "Let me finish that thought" and continue where you left off.

It feels awkward at first.

But it works.

​

3. Be direct but polite

I learned to say: "I'd like to complete my thought. Please let me finish and I'll pass it over to you."

Yes, it's uncomfortable in the beginning. But it builds confidence each time you do it.

​

4. Create your own segue

When the conversation moves on but you still need to share your point, try:

• "That connects to something I wanted to bring up..."
• "Building on what you said..."
• "Can I ask a clarifying question?" (then transition to your point)

​

Lead with the problem you solved

When you do get the floor, start with what matters to them:

• "This analysis prevented us from losing X customers"
• "The automation I built cut this process from 2 hours to 15 minutes"
• "This approach saved the team from having to manually check 500 records"

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Be strategic about collaboration credit

Many of us work in teams, and many of us do collaborate on projects.

However, we need to be strategic about the communication so that our contributions don't get lost in the shuffle.

Use "we" for collaborative efforts, but claim your specific contribution.

For example:
"The team delivered this dashboard, and the automation piece I built reduced our update time from 3 hours to 20 minutes."

You're not being arrogant.
You're being accurate.
You're stating facts, and you're stating outcomes and evidence.

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The reality check

I'm not going to promise these strategies will fix broken meeting culture overnight. They won't.

Some people will still interrupt.
Some ideas will still get overlooked.
Some meetings will still feel like combat zones.

But what these approaches will do is give you practical ways to ensure your thoughtful insights get heard - without requiring you to become a different person.

Your measured and careful approach is valuable, even if it doesn't always feel that way.

The goal isn't to become louder.

It's to become more strategic about when and how you share your insights.

​

Your turn

What's your go-to strategy when someone interrupts you? Or are you still figuring that part out?

Hit reply and let me know. I read every response, and your experiences help me understand what's really happening in conference rooms everywhere.

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P.S.

This whole "getting recognized for your actual contributions" thing is exactly what I cover in my 5-Day Professional Visibility Guide. If you haven't grabbed it yet, you can sign up here. It's designed specifically for data professionals who want recognition without the self-promotion headaches.

And speaking of building systems that actually work... I'm putting together something for data professionals who've tried to create a digital product before but got stuck somewhere along the way. It's called Build to Sell: 7 Days to Create Your First Data Product.​

If you've ever thought about packaging your expertise but didn't know where to start (or how to actually finish), this might be exactly what you need. The waitlist is open here - more details coming soon.

Talk soon,
Donabel