17Intimidation: But What If They Know More Than I Do?
An obstacle to some folks' speaking up is their personal perception that the speaker is either smarter than them or is speaking (intentionally or unintentionally) above their level of understanding. This can happen with medical professionals or other experts we encounter. Here's the thing – it might be uncomfortable, but if you notice something a professional or an expert misses, or you are not following along with the information being shared, or even if you just know that something is going unaddressed, it is imperative for you to speak up. Remember, being inclusive means we have to bring everyone along – you can't follow along and get what you need out of the situation if the message is being lost. If you have this challenge, I encourage you to push past the emotions you may have around seeming uninformed or unable to keep up and to instead say something! I know, you may be a bit nervy about potentially putting yourself in a position of looking silly or being made an example of, or sounding uninformed. With the right phrasing, all of those experiences are avoidable. Following are a few scripts you can use to speak up in this kind of situation. Remember, you can always tailor a script to work best for you.
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