I work for a big corporate business, and men keep talking over me in meetings; one male colleague will never address me directly, even though I’m more experienced than him. What do I do?

How frustrating. Luckily, there’s an app that can help. Woman Interrupted tracks how often a woman’s voice is interrupted by a male one. Place it on the table (it doesn’t record you) and allow the data to speak on your behalf. You can share this data with your manager or even with the attendees of the meeting (add an encouraging note along the lines of: “All voices must be heard.”)

When it comes to the colleague who won’t look at you, there are a few approaches. The first is to tackle it during the meeting. Although this can be confrontational, it means he is accountable to others in the room. Make sure you use the words “I”, “me” and “you”, rather than “us”. When he is delivering a statement without addressing you, say, “I’d love you to tell me more about how you plan on executing that?” This forces him to address you directly. If he ignores you and addresses his response to the group, pick it up again with “I think”, “I would like”.

Another way to nip the ignoramus in the bud would be to address him one-on-one. Arrange a brief meeting where you say something along the lines of, “I need you to be aware of the way I feel in terms of your behaviour in meetings.” It is likely he will respond defensively, but keep bringing the conversation back to the fact that you don’t require reasons for his behaviour, it just needs to change. (Otherwise, it becomes a childish ‘he said, she said’.) Follow up the mini meeting with notes on email, and cc your manager. The process needs to be swift, because all that actually matters is the outcome: that you are heard, acknowledged and valued.

• Send your questions for Sharmadean to bossing.it@theguardian.com

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