What are some strategies for ensuring all participants have a chance to speak during a meeting?

Begin by ensuring that the meeting includes only relevant participants. Once you've confirmed the attendance of all necessary members, actively promote participation, keeping in mind that not every conversation may pertain to everyone. Implement inclusive practices such as 'suggestions from all' on relevant topics. Plan the meeting thoroughly, communicating all agenda items in advance to facilitate efficiency and readiness among participants. Prioritize meaningful discussions and avoid unnecessary tangents for a focused and productive session.

Simple ground rules is key in any meeting Everyone needs to understand the role, am I here to just listen in, or am I hate to participate in the conversation? If this can be said from the get-go, it will open it up for a greater meeting.

Without clear expectations on how a meeting will be run, it will go off the rails and become a free-for-all. This immediately dilutes trust and makes it difficult for quiet team members to speak up and share their thoughts and feelings. Establishing clear guidelines and expectations can set the stage for success and ensure people understand how to proceed best.

Avant la réunion, transmettre un ordre du jour clair avec les objectifs à atteindre. Si possible, indiquer le temps nécessaire pour traiter chaque point. Le jour-j, reformuler l'ordre du jour et demander aux participants s'ils ont bien compris les sujets et s'ils ont des questions. Par la même occasion, présenter les règles du jeu, afin d'instaurer un climat de confiance.

Start fast and do introductions early. Provide an example of the brief introduction format you are looking for. People will be better able to focus after they stop thinking about their introduction. Then, you can dig in on the purpose of the meeting.

Dependendo da facilitação, um formato que também pode funcionar é ter um rodízio para compartilhamento de ideias com um tempo fixo dedicado à exposição de cada um. Assim, conseguimos controlar bem o tempo da sessão e garantir a participação de todas as pessoas. Se o grupo for muito grande, podem ser divididos em duplas ou trios, onde sempre deve haver uma pessoa representante para falar e explicar suas ideias.

En fonction de : - L'objectif de la réunion (atelier de co-création, brainstorming, récolte d'informations, ...) - Nombre de participants ( - Logistique (en présentiel, atelier de création, en ligne, ...) Il est utile de se demander quel outil ou moyen utiliser pour animer la réunion. Plusieurs approches existent telles que : - La visualisation à l'aide de flipchart - La création de groupes pour collaborer sur des thèmes différents - Le design thinking avec des briques, jouets, ... - Le tableau blanc collaboratif en ligne - Les outils de sondage via les smartphones et les ordinateurs

Participants will have different ways of engaging and expressing themselves. Don't assume vocally speaking is ideal; thus should be your measure of engagement. Not everyone feels the need or is comfortable with speaking. Writing is a powerful tool, which might be preferred by a participant. Technique could include: writing prompts, brainstorming using post-its and creative drawing. Sharing of what comes out of the activity could be done by a group leader or the facilitator. Being attentive and observing the body language of participants early on during the session will help a facilitator determine if writing, speaking or other methods of sharing are appropriate.

To ensure everyone has a chance to speak during a meeting, ask open-ended questions. These questions can't be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no,' prompting more elaborate responses. For instance, instead of asking, "Do you agree with this plan?" ask, "What are your thoughts on this plan, and how might you improve it?" Such questions encourage quieter participants to share their ideas and insights. It's also helpful to direct these questions to specific individuals who may be less vocal, ensuring their perspectives are heard. This practice not only promotes inclusivity but also enriches the discussion with a variety of viewpoints.

Asking a question that could be answered with a yes or no, probably will get a yes or no and nobody will talk much afterwards. Asking open ended questions helps with bringing people in the conversation.

Open-ended questions are the only way to encourage people to explore deeper within themselves, reflect, activate their creativity, and birth new insights.

En effet, les questions ouvertes sont un excellent moyen pour ouvrir le dialogue et susciter un maximum de réflexions sur une problématique, voire de préciser certains sujets.

L'écoute active associée à la communication non-verbale permet de signifier à notre interlocuteur que nous sommes attentifs à ce qu'il communique. Reformuler et paraphraser les commentaires sont également un excellent moyen pour assurer les deux parties que le message a été bien compris.

It's risky for people to speak up and share their thoughts. They're vulnerable to judgments and strong reactions from peers. Acknowledging people's bravery in sharing their thoughts is a great way to lift them into the present moment and encourage others to share their thoughts.

Make sure everyone is heard, and everyone has the space to speak. If one person does all the talking, then it’s not really a meeting.

A technique that's worked for me is encouraging people who speak frequently to pause and practice silence periodically throughout the meeting to allow others to gather and share their thoughts.

Time management is the easiest way to ensure there is ample time for each member of the team to be “given the floor.” It’s very easy to over speak- gotta remain cognizant.

Balancing airtime is crucial for inclusive meetings. Be mindful of who is speaking and for how long. If someone is dominating the conversation, gently interject and invite others to share their thoughts. You can say, “I appreciate your input, John. Let’s also hear what others think about this.” Alternatively, use round-robin techniques, where each participant is given an equal opportunity to speak in turn. This method ensures that all voices are heard, preventing any single participant from monopolizing the discussion. Balancing airtime not only creates a more democratic meeting environment but also helps uncover valuable insights that might otherwise be missed in a one-sided conversation.

En amont de la réunion, il faut identifier les participants, leur rôle, leur activité. Si nous avons un temps limité, il est recommandé de sélectionner des représentants. Pendant la réunion, afin de recueillir le maximum d'informations et ne pas passer à côté d'informations cruciales, il est utile de donner la parole à tous les participants. Etre attentif aux participants plus discrets et chercher un moyen de les impliquer dans l'échange (peut-être qu'ils ne disent rien, car crainte de la hiérarchie ou malaise vis-à-vis d'un autre collègue).

Often times the quietest people have the most wisdom to share. Sometimes they won’t share it, unless you prompt them to, so make sure to hear from everyone.

If you run a meeting and plan on randomly calling on people, inform them at the beginning of the meeting that this may happen, and let them know it's because their insights matter and you want to learn from them.