Q I get talked over a lot. I tend to be slow in my speech, and by the time I get through a pause, two other people have jumped in. How can I get people to recognize my pace so that I can get my points across?
A Let people know about your style and develop some techniques to hold your verbal space.
The inner game
Start by assuming that others aren't trying to be rude. This will help you set aside some of your annoyance so that you can focus on solutions.
Instead, consider what they may be experiencing. They may be: enthusiastic, busy, impatient, or all of the above. They also likely have a different personality style than you, so gaining a deeper understanding of the implications of stylistic differences may be helpful.
In particular, examine the differences between introversion and extroversion. In the former (which may seem familiar to you), the individual tends to process internally, formulating complete thoughts before speaking. Extroverts are more apt to process as they speak, which picks up their pace. This is a prime area of contrast -- and sometimes conflict -- between these types of people.
External perspectives can be useful, so ask someone you trust for feedback on how you're perceived in meetings.
Finally, assess whether other factors hold you back. If you're afraid to be wrong, uncomfortable with disagreement, or uncertain about your knowledge, others may run over you. Age, gender and status can also have an effect. These are issues that you'll want to address so that they don't have undue influence on your behavior.
