Five techniques to make space for quiet voices in meetings
Striking the balance between encouraging participation from everyone without putting anyone on the spot can be tricky in meetings. We don’t want to push people to speak up but we also know that we’re missing out on someone’s opinion and ideas when they stay quiet.
Individuals might be holding back in meetings for a number of reasons (personal issues, lack of confidence, neurodiversity, safety in the room, the space taken by other team members, etc.) They’ll each have their unique set of circumstances and preferred way to engage in group settings, and tailoring sessions to individual needs might not always be possible for facilitators.
Good news, though! Here are five easy tricks that will not only make quiet participants more comfortable and confident but will also make meetings a better experience for everyone.
#1 —Clear expectations ahead of the session
With enough advance notice, share important information about the meetings with all participants: agenda, desired outcomes, list of attendees, facilitators, the tools you’ll use, and required homework. This helps everyone prepare for the session and understand the value they’ll bring to it (and the value they’ll get from it!)
#2 — Offline activities
Contribution to the discussion can happen outside of the meeting. Consider activities such as anonymous surveys, collaborative documents, or canvas-filling exercises. This approach allows individuals to think and participate without the pressure of live interaction and provides valuable input that you can use to shape follow up meetings.
#3 — Rules of engagement
Establish ground rules for respectful communication and focused participation, particularly in longer workshops and opinionated discussions. E.g. The retrospective prime directive; ‘No laptops or mobile phone’ for distracted groups; Etc. These rules should be visible throughout the session and gentle reminders can be given if needed
#4 — Warm up activities
Start the meeting with icebreakers or brief, relevant activities that help participants feel more comfortable and ready to engage with the core session. Choose exercises that are concise, dynamic, and purposeful, such as a quick sketching game for ideation sessions or a team-building warm-up for discussions requiring trust.
#5 — Turns to talk and space to think
Use a variety of participation formats, including solo, pair and group activities like silent brainstorming, fishbowl, dot-voting, round-robins, small group projects, etc. This ensures that everyone has the opportunity to reflect on the topic, formulate their thoughts, and contribute in a manner that suits them. Variety also creates rhythm and keeps everyone engaged.
So there you have it — five techniques to turn your meetings into engaging, inclusive sessions. And two extra tips for the road:
- When setting up a recurring meeting or an important workshop, ask participants about their expectations and access needs ahead of the session
- Get participants’ feedback at the end of meetings
These are great data points to help you refine your facilitation and activities and create better and better group sessions over time!
