Hi there!

One of the pillars in Nathaniel Branden’s Six Pillars of Self-Esteem is asserting oneself. So if you feel like you have something to contribute, then do so. Keeping silent when you feel like you ought to speak can do some harm for you in the long run.

I’m personally not so convinced with the binary thinking that everything that we say or do is either positive or negative. Facts are facts, and they are neutral. I’m not sure why people are so scared of stating facts and being straightforward about them (people in general, that is). There is a difference though in how one delivers the information, and that can require some skillful maneuvering 🙂 For example, if something has been tried before, but it didn’t work then due to some problems, and now someone wants to introduce the same thing again, you can be both intrigued by the suggestion and offer information on what has happened before and why. Instead of seeing problems as something that can not be overcome, because they weren’t overcome before, you can see them as challenges for the team. Accepting reality does not equal being cynical, and it’s the cynicism that enthusiastic people have a hard time understanding.

The reason we work in teams in general is that different people bring different things to the table. Your skills are very valuable to any project, so don’t be afraid to use them!