We have all been there -  invited to a meeting at work and quickly realizing you are the only woman of color at the table. It can be daunting, and often, it is hard to find your footing. So, what to do next time you find yourself here? Follow these three tips to get ready to show up like the boss that you are - fearless and deserving for a seat at that table.  

Remember, “failure to plan is planning to fail.”

The first step to showing up with confidence comes with preparation. The moment the invite is sent, check for an agenda. If one is not available, don’t be afraid to ask the organizer to provide one. By reviewing the agenda, you will spare yourself of last-minute surprises and be more present and ready to share your ideas confidently. In preparation for the meeting, ask yourself these questions:

1. What is your stance?

2. Why have you taken this stance?

3. Do you have information to support it? 

As women of color, we are often intimidated to share our views and sometimes even stereotyped as always thinking more with our emotions. However, this is your opportunity to formulate your opinion and justify it with facts and data that you can reference to make a mark at every meeting you attend. Additionally, this ensures that you can contribute to the conversation when you see fit. Preparation is important in finding and maintaining confidence. Operating with last-minute guesses or trying to formulate an opinion on the spot when you aren’t prepared can be overwhelming. When unsure, we often retreat from the conversation to avoid the risk of saying the wrong thing or something that cannot be retracted.  The vast majority of us are confident with the familiar things, so familiarize yourself with your content as much as possible before sitting at that table.

Anticipate, Anticipate, Anticipate

It is not uncommon for any suggestion, recommendation, opinion to go unchallenged when you are the only woman in the room. Anticipate these challenges and embrace them. 

The best way to do this is to leverage mentors or peers to poke holes in your argument or minimally question it, forcing you to prepare for strong rebuttals. This is not a bad thing. You welcome it because this puts you in the best position to showcase your knowledge and how well you have prepared. By leveraging your network to evaluate your stance and ideas for flaws, you can begin to identify ways to strengthen it. This is yet another way to prepare and build your confidence. Fewer questions will catch you off guard, and the more questions you can answer, the more confident you feel. 

Follow Up and Through

Once you’ve just finished slaying in the meeting room, don’t let them forget it. Send a follow-up reiterating key information and your ideas. You can follow up with a recap of the meeting with a high-level summary of your input and provide supporting documents and references to help make your case. This will help your peers know you are the person to reach when questions arise and credit is due. 

In a world where merit has seemingly dwindled, and charism sells, confidence can seal the deal when entering a meeting. Trust In your effort, lean in for yourself, and find the confidence you need to take over the world, no matter how big or small yours may be.