In collaborative team meetings, the power of diverse ideas and perspectives is immense. When we come together to discuss key issues, it’s essential that everyone at the table has the opportunity to contribute equally. It’s not just about creating space for ideas, but making sure every voice is truly heard. This is what builds a strong culture of collaboration.
The Importance of Psychological Safety
One of the foundations of effective collaboration is psychological safety—the idea that team members feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment or criticism. Research by social scientist Charles Duhigg, including insights from Google’s Project Aristotle, has shown that psychological safety is a key factor in building successful teams. Interestingly, the research revealed that team composition isn’t as important as how team members interact with one another. When everyone speaks up and contributes roughly the same amount, teams tend to perform better.
This principle doesn’t just apply to collaborative team meetings—it’s crucial for any group that meets regularly. So how do we ensure that all voices are heard and engaged? Here are a few practical strategies to bring to your next meeting.
Establishing Norms
One of the easiest ways to create an environment where all voices are heard is by establishing norms. We talk about this all the time because it works! When teams establish norms, there’s often a focus on making sure everyone is engaged in the conversation. One common norm is to ensure that every voice is heard or that someone is responsible for asking questions when a voice hasn’t been heard in a while.
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It’s important to go beyond just stating this as a norm—teams need to practice it regularly. For instance, in our own team, we have a norm that ensures all voices are accessed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as setting the intention at the beginning of a meeting: “Let’s all make sure we’re hearing from everyone today.” Other times, it’s more structured—like using the “paperclip method,” where each participant has five paperclips and places one in the middle every time they speak, aiming to have no paperclips left by the end of the meeting. It’s a small action, but it ensures that contributions are balanced. Here’s a blog including some additional resources that delves more deeply into the idea of practicing norms regularly to ensure they are a living part of your teamwork.
Keeping Track as a Facilitator
For those who facilitate meetings, it’s helpful to keep a tally of who has spoken and who hasn’t. This can be as simple as jotting down names and making a note each time someone contributes. This way, you can easily see if someone hasn’t participated in a while and gently encourage them to share their thoughts.
Additionally, it’s important for facilitators to be aware of their own speaking time. Are you guiding the conversation too much? By consciously balancing your input with that of the team, you can create more space for others to contribute.
Assigning Roles
Another effective strategy is assigning roles, such as having an “engagement officer” whose job is to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak. This takes the pressure off the facilitator and spreads the responsibility for the success of the meeting across the whole team. To learn more about roles in collaborative meetings, read Examining Collaborative Team Meetings - Roles in Team Meetings.
Addressing Dominant and Quiet Participants
It’s common in teams to have one or two people who dominate the conversation, while others remain quieter. Sometimes, quieter team members are fully engaged internally, but don’t always express their thoughts aloud. To ensure everyone contributes, you can use techniques like the sticky note strategy. During a brainstorming session, ask everyone to jot down their ideas on sticky notes for a couple of minutes before sharing. This creates a level playing field and encourages those who are less vocal to participate.
Another useful method is the “think-pair-share” technique. Give everyone time to think about a question or problem, then pair up with someone to discuss it, and finally share their insights with the larger group. This method helps ease the pressure of speaking up in front of the entire team and can be especially helpful for those who may be hesitant to contribute.
Preparing in Advance
For team members who need more time to process information, it’s helpful to share the meeting agenda ahead of time. When people have time to think about the issues at hand before the meeting, they are more likely to come prepared with thoughtful contributions. In collaborative team meetings, this aligns with the role of the pre-meeting organizer, ensuring that everyone is ready to engage in meaningful discussion.
Ensuring all voices are heard in collaborative team meetings is essential to building a strong, effective team. By establishing norms, keeping track of contributions, assigning roles, addressing different participation styles, and preparing in advance, we can create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
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Examining Collaborative Team Meetings - Establishing and Reinforcing Norms
