If your client is being sidelined in meetings, equip them with strategies to actively participate and assert their presence. Encourage them to prepare talking points and confidently share insights early in discussions to establish their voice. Coaching them on effective communication skills, like framing contributions to align with meeting objectives, can also boost their impact. Additionally, fostering allies within the team to amplify their ideas and addressing the issue privately with relevant stakeholders can help ensure they're included in critical conversations and recognized for their contributions.

If your client is being sidelined in meetings, empower them with actionable strategies: 1. Shift Their Mindset: Replace self-doubt with affirmations like, “My voice matters.” 2. Prepare Strategically: Encourage them to align their contributions with meeting objectives, bringing data or insights. 3. Build Allies: Identify colleagues to amplify their ideas or redirect focus when overlooked. 4. Activate Presence: Project confidence through body language, speak early, and assertively reclaim the floor when interrupted. 5. Follow Up: Reinforce their value by sending post-meeting summaries or connecting with decision-makers afterward.

That’s a challenge I’ve seen derail even the most talented professionals. And the solution starts before the meeting even begins. → Share agendas ahead of time so they can prepare. → Coach them to speak early to establish their presence. → Emphasize their expertise when introducing them. → Follow up after meetings to ensure they’re looped into decisions. Small actions can make a big impact, ensuring your client is heard and included where it matters most.

The first step in addressing this issue is to thoroughly assess the dynamics of the meetings where your client feels sidelined. Understanding the context and the behavior of other participants can provide insights into why your client might be overlooked. Are the meetings highly competitive, or is there a dominant group that tends to take over discussions? Is your client possibly hesitating to speak up or struggling to find the right moment to interject? Gathering this information will help tailor the approach needed to change the situation.

We can discuss with the client to understand and use meeting dynamics to find the right moments to interject and contribute. For example let's say the client finds it hard to interject in fast-paced meetings, we can help the client identify patterns in meeting dynamics, such as when there is a time allocated to ask for input or opens the floor for questions! By timing the contributions strategically, client can ensure his voice is heard without interrupting or being overwhelming the flow of the meeting.

When a client is being sidelined in meetings, the key is to help them reclaim their voice and presence. As a coach, I work with them to analyze the dynamics of these meetings and identify opportunities to contribute more effectively. We develop strategies like preparing key points in advance, confidently asserting their expertise, and using body language to command attention. Additionally, I encourage them to build relationships outside of the meeting room, ensuring their perspectives are valued before discussions even start. Empowering clients to show up with clarity and confidence helps them become indispensable to the conversation.

Start by preparing thoughtful insights or questions ahead of each meeting and then be assertive in sharing them early in the discussion to set a tone of involvement. If you notice recurring exclusions, have a conversation with the meeting organiser or your manager. Express your interest in contributing and ask how you can stay aligned and included. Building strong working relationships with team members outside meetings will also help ensure your voice gets included where it matters.