Crucial conversations – how to be heard

Hosted by Blake Morgan as part of our NED Connect business forum, Tamsin spoke expertly on how to be heard and grow personal value. We would like to thank her for imparting her knowledge and skills during the session.

The forum has been created to help non-executive directors be the most effective NED they can be, and this certainly would have helped.

One attendee said:

The charismatic Tamsin, founder of RAWtalks, influencer, speaker, manager and host of The Women in Business Awards for the Business Magazine, gave her tips on crucial conversations. She has had a really unpredictable and totally unplanned career and gave tried and tested strategies used to overcome significant challenges.

The role of the NED

Why does an organisation want and need a non-executive director? A NED needs to understand their role as a helper, to add value around the table. They should give insights and challenge thinking. Not challenging for challenging’s sake, there needs to be a purpose behind any challenge.

You should know the purpose of the business and help the business achieve their desired goals. NEDs can offer a lot and help private companies reach the next level, build them up. They can also assist when it comes to corporate governance and rules for public companies, be independent chairs for boards and offer a different way of thinking.

It is important to know when to challenge and when to support.

What happens when you have something to say but face resistance?

Raising your profile and elevating yourself is crucial. There are limited opportunities to engage so when you do, you need to be effective. Unfortunately sometimes there can be resistance. You need to trust your instincts to go for it. Say what needs to be said. Tamsin spoke very well about posture and poise so that when you do speak you have creditability and buy-in from those present.

Having presence and knowing how to hijack a conversation is important, i.e. sitting or standing tall, leaning forwards on video calls, nodding to show you are listening.

A fear of judgment or being undervalued might hold you back – imposter syndrome, but being able to press the ‘sod it’ button and give your opinion is critical.

A recommended three step process in trusting your instincts to speak up is:

1. Pay attention – be aware so that the opportunity to speak doesn’t pass you by if you have a good idea.
2. Count backwards from 3, 2, 1, then go for it. Have considered ideas and don’t just blurt them out.
3. Physically move – speak up! Don’t second guess, as a NED, you have been brought on to the board to add value.

There is a balancing act though as you do not want to be overbearing, wise words that were said were:

How to build trust

How to be heard is one thing, but you also need buy-in from people. To do this you need to earn trust and respect – connect with people and communicate effectively.

Every meeting, casual or formal board meeting, is a touch point and an opportunity to build trust and respect. This is where you can connect with people.

Tips for connecting and engaging:

• Listen to understand
• Try to see things from their point of view, be empathetic to their ideas
• Optimise people’s strengths with encouragement
• Have honesty and integrity in all you do
• Inspire them by who you are
• Ask good questions, use their name
• Make people feel important, smile, use praise and appreciate people

As well as appreciation for Tamsin, we would also like to thank all those who attended and contributed brilliantly to the discussions.

Find out more about our NED Connect forum here and sign up to hear about future events first by joining the forum. You can view the slides from the session here.