Make Sure Everyone Feels Included in Your Next Meeting

Meetings aren’t just about delivering results. You also want participants to leave feeling connected, valued, and fulfilled.

Give everyone a turn to speak, and be aware of who has and hasn’t spoken and whether someone is dominating the conversation.

Think through who needs to be part of the discussion for each topic ahead of time.

Ask yourself:

Who would be great at starting the conversation?

Who is affected by the outcomes and therefore needs to be asked for their view?

Who is most likely to have a different view?

Who are the old hands who might sense whether we are making a mistake or missing something?

You don’t need to set up strict rules, but modeling an inclusive style of conversation will make people more likely to notice who hasn’t spoken yet.

Call on people who have not had a chance to participate. Make sure it feels and sounds like an invitation, not a way of controlling the conversation.

Adapted from “How to Design Meetings Your Team Will Want to Attend,” by Paul Axtell