prepare for meetings ahead of time, even if no one asked you to. Gather your thoughts, look over your notes, and remind yourself of any key talking points you want to bring up. This extra preparation might give you the push you need to be one of the first people to speak up—even though that’s probably not your style. In general, the sooner you can get your ideas out there, the better, because, on a psychological level, it helps you feel like part of the meeting earlier. Then, as the meeting goes on, people will tend to direct their comments to you, which helps you stay involved. This probably
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