The Quickest Way to Get Noticed Is to Get Heard
Shout out to the smart kids. The ones who wrote brilliant essays, cracked tough case studies, and left college with GPAs that could stop traffic. You got into grad school, maybe even got a few scholarships along the way. You told that piece of paper what you were thinking, and a professor, who was paid to extract and evaluate that thinking looked back and said, “Excellent work.”
That was then.
In the working world, paper is helpful, but your voice is currency. And if you come from a marginalized background…Black, Brown, immigrant, queer, first-gen, or just quiet, you’ve likely been trained to make yourself smaller before speaking up. But the truth is: silence doesn’t get rewarded. Not consistently. And not fairly.
If no one can hear how you think, they’ll fill in the blanks themselves. And that’s rarely in your favor.
The quickest way to get noticed is to get heard. Not just by doing more. But by saying more. Clearly. Purposefully. Loud when necessary. Quiet when strategic. But always heard.
Here are five things you probably learned to do well on paper and how to translate them into your voice at work.
1. You wrote a strong thesis. Now state your opinion early.
In school, you learned to lead with a thesis. Same thing applies in meetings. Don’t bury your perspective at the end. Say what you believe early on, even if you soften it later. People remember the first clear voice in the room.
Instead of: “Just a quick thought, but maybe we should consider…”
Try: “I believe we should consider this approach because…”
2. You backed up your claims. Now give people your logic.
When you speak, don’t just offer conclusions, share your reasoning. Not only does it make you more persuasive, it builds trust. Let them hear how you think, not just what you think.
“Here’s how I got there…” is a magic phrase. Use it.
3. You wrote clean intros and transitions. Now guide the conversation.
If you’re explaining something complex, organize your thoughts aloud. Say “Let me break that into two parts” or “There are three things to consider.” It helps others follow your thinking and shows you’re a structured thinker.
4. You cited sources. Now acknowledge others aloud.
Quoting someone in your paper gave credibility. Quoting colleagues in meetings shows you’re collaborative. Say “As Kira mentioned earlier” or “That builds on what Marcus shared.” It raises you and the room.
5. You edited for clarity. Now speak with intention.
Rambling kills impact. You don’t have to say a lot. You have to say something that lands. If you’re unsure, pause. Think. Then speak. Brevity can be powerful.
Some of us were taught to wait to be called on. Some of us were taught that if we just work hard, someone will notice. That’s not how this works. Being visible means being heard. Being heard means trusting your voice.
Not shouting. Not dominating. Just contributing. Consistently. With purpose.
It doesn’t mean speaking all the time. But it does mean never letting the meeting end without people knowing what you bring to the table.
You already have the mind otherwise you wouldn’t be in the room in the first place. So let them hear it!
