A Shy Girl's Journey in the Corporate World: Yoshika Sherring Shares How She Found Her Voice
“Because I am soft spoken and shy, it is doubly important that I make it a point to say something in a meeting.” Have you ever walked into a meeting, nervous to speak up, or hesitant to share an opinion? Today’s woman dreamer, Yoshika Sherring shares how she built her confidence and overcame her shyness in the corporate world. She shares her three essential tips for finding your voice, as a woman in the corporate world.
Growing up, I was taught the traditional Indian values of respecting elders, respecting seniority, keeping your head down and working hard. To add to this upbringing, I was shy, so didn’t speak up much.
After receiving my undergraduate degree in Biotechnology, working in a laboratory setting was a comfortable place for someone who was shy and inquisitive. However, after some time, I yearned for an opportunity where I could combine my science background with the business world and pharmaceutical marketing seemed like the perfect merger and next step in my career. I obtained my MBA while going to school at night and after graduating, got my first role in marketing. Upon entering the business world, I was naive to the often assertive business environment, which is a less than ideal place for someone who is shy.
When I began my new role, I did not speak-up much, I deferred to my seniors and listened to what they said instead of being proactive. I thought if I kept my head down and just did my work to the best of my abilities, it would be recognized, and I would receive the accolades or the promotion I deserved. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
“I went back to my desk and was feeling anxious, thinking, “will I be able to do this’? My confidence, my fears and my anxiety were all getting the best of me.”
I remember the first time I was asked to give a big presentation to a room full of Senior Executives. After my boss and I discussed this, I went back to my desk and was feeling anxious, thinking, “will I be able to do this’? My confidence, my fears and my anxiety were all getting the best of me. I realized the responsibility I had to my boss and to the other members of my team who were counting on me to deliver a strong presentation. In addition, I was not given much time to prepare and the presentation was going to be at a meeting in California. Leading up to the meeting, I spent as much time as I could on preparing, including developing my slides and thinking through my story and how I was going to convey the information in an engaging and informative way. I reviewed my slides and talking points on the flight to California and the day before the presentation, I practiced over and over in front of a mirror in my hotel room. On the day of the presentation, I was so nervous. I walked into the conference room, everyone got seated and we got started. After introductions, I was first up. All I wanted to do was get through it and be done! I started speaking and it was difficult in the beginning, but after a few slides in, I gained my confidence and kept going. By the time I was done, it felt great and I knew I nailed it. Afterwards my boss and colleagues congratulated me. This was the first of many, many big presentations in my career. However, to this day, before any big presentation, my heart still races and I still get very nervous. Luckily, there are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way, not just in becoming comfortable presenting, but in trying to navigate the business world and be successful.
Yoshika’s Top 3 Tips to Finding Your Voice in The Corporate World
1. Soft skills and emotional IQ are not underrated!
Make it a point to build rapport with colleagues. I used to think I needed to go to work and just do whatever needed to get done and that I did not have time to chit-chat. But internal networking is a large part of building a successful career. I used to think if I stopped by a colleague’s office, including my boss, that I would be bothering them, but it turns out people appreciate the camaraderie. I used to have a colleague who would be gone all day and would return to his deck at 5pm. That’s when he would actually start his work, because all day he had been networking! He spent most of his day talking with colleagues and building relationships. When it came time to get something done, he never had an issue because he had already built trusting relationships. Also, don’t pass up a hallway conversation- sometimes more work gets done through these seemingly insignificant pass-by’s!
2. Having a voice is important.
Because I am soft spoken and shy, it is doubly important that I make it a point to say something in a meeting. I don’t like to speak just to hear myself talk, but my rule is to say something, whether it’s adding a point to the conversation or asking a question within the first 10 minutes after the meeting starts. This takes preparation and effort on my part, but lets others know I am engaged and not just passively listening.
3. Preparation!
Anytime I am going to speak in front of colleagues, I spend a lot of time preparing my talking points and thinking about what key messages I want to deliver. I practice, and for really big presentations, I rehearse with a colleague and sometimes with my family! I try to start strong and confident and am aware of my voice. I project and I know once I get through the first couple of slides, the rest of the presentation flows much easier. Part of this is being comfortable hearing yourself speak, so practicing in front of a mirror is very helpful!
And above all, I have learned, Be yourself! For many years, I kept a professional persona at work. I rarely talked about my personal life, thinking it would be unprofessional to talk about my kids or share something fun I did over the weekend except the mundane, i.e., kids sporting events, etc. After time, I realized, why hide this? It wasn’t getting me anywhere by hiding it, so I embraced it. And the outcome has been that nothing has changed, except I feel more connected by being myself and others respect my choices.
It took a long time for me to get comfortable adapting to the corporate culture, but the lessons I’ve learned along the way have been invaluable in helping me grow both personally and professionally.