Meetings can become very one-sided. They can be spaces where power dynamics and biases stifle diversity and inclusion. Some people can be overshadowed by the more dominant voices in the room and marginalised individuals can be too fearful to speak out. Philip Atkinson, Coach, Founder of Hive Logic and Author, highlights how to unlock the full potential of teams, leaders must transform meetings into equitable environments where everyone feels heard, respected and empowered to contribute.
Meetings can be the ‘best of times and the worst of times,’ to paraphrase Charles Dickens, but they come with great expectations for success.
Meetings are essential for collaboration and decision-making, but they can also be spaces where power dynamics and biases stifle diversity and inclusion. To unlock the full potential of our teams, we must transform meetings into equitable environments where everyone feels heard, respected and empowered to contribute.
Before diving into solutions, it’s crucial to acknowledge the challenges. In a 2024 study by Flowtrace.co, it was estimated that US-based middle managers spent around 50% of their collective time in meetings, and a striking 71% of these meetings were deemed unproductive. Unconscious biases, hierarchical structures and differing communication styles can all hinder inclusivity. Dominant personalities may overshadow quieter voices, while marginalised individuals may feel hesitant to speak up due to fear of judgment or microaggressions.
Leaders of teams today need to have a high Emotional Quotient, or EQ, to ensure a team is working effectively and is greater than the sum of its individual members. The first step is to make sure that each individual feels psychologically safe to speak up and contribute. This was a key finding of the 2012 Google Aristotle Project where Julia Rozovsky and her team of researchers studied the most important factors for a team’s success. The project concluded that who was on a team mattered less than how the team worked together, and psychological safety was the most important factor for team success. There’s no point in hiring one of the greatest computer scientists into an organisation and a leadership team if they don’t feel safe to speak up and contribute fully.
Strategies for an inclusive meeting environment
Nancy Kline, in her book, Time to Think, identified key factors for a high-quality thinking environment. These included the following strategies to cultivate a level playing field and foster diversity in meetings:
- Establish clear meeting norms and expectations:
● Ground rules: Begin by collaboratively setting ground rules that promote respectful communication, active listening and equitable participation. Examples include: ‘One mic’ (only one person speaks at a time), ‘Step up, step back’ (encourage quieter individuals to contribute and those who often speak to hold back) and ‘Assume positive intent’
● Purpose and agenda: Circulate a clear agenda with defined objectives and expected outcomes well in advance. This allows everyone to prepare and contribute meaningfully. Assign roles such as timekeeper, note-taker and facilitator to distribute responsibility and encourage ownership. - Promote active listening and equal airtime:
● Structured speaking: Acknowledge that we are all diverse in our thinking styles. This is more nuanced than introvert-extrovert tendencies. Implement techniques like round-robin or popcorn-style sharing to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak. A facilitator can actively call on individuals who haven’t yet contributed
● Visual cues: Use visual aids like virtual hand-raising or physical tokens to signal a desire to speak. This can help manage the flow of conversation and prevent interruptions
● Parking lot: Designate a ‘parking lot’ for tangential discussions or off-topic comments. This prevents derailing the meeting while acknowledging valid points that can be addressed later. - Value diverse perspectives and communication styles:
● Inclusive language: Use inclusive language that avoids jargon, acronyms or culturally specific references that may exclude some participants.
● Multiple input methods: Offer various ways for people to share their ideas, such as pre-meeting surveys, online chat or anonymous feedback forms. This caters to different communication styles and comfort levels
● Acknowledge and validate: Actively acknowledge and validate contributions from all participants, even if you don’t agree with them. This fosters a sense of psychological safety and encourages continued participation - Address power dynamics and biases:
● Facilitation skills: Train facilitators to recognise and address power imbalances and biases. This includes redirecting dominant speakers, encouraging quieter voices and intervening when microaggressions occur
● Blind brainstorming: Use techniques like blind brainstorming, where ideas are submitted anonymously, to reduce the impact of status or hierarchy
● Diverse panels: When organising panels or presentations, ensure diverse representation in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age and other dimensions of diversity. - Virtual meetings: specific considerations:
● Technology check: Before starting, ensure everyone can access and use the technology effectively. Provide clear instructions and troubleshooting support.
● Engagement techniques: Use interactive tools like polls, breakout rooms and chat features to keep participants engaged according to their preferred thinking style.
● The chat function can be used to give everyone a few minutes to think in silence, then post their comments in chat – but not pressing send until everyone can do so together on the count of three. This gives people space to think without being influenced by the most dominant members.
● Non-verbal cues: Be mindful of non-verbal cues in video calls, such as body language and facial expressions. Check in with participants periodically to gauge their engagement and comfort level.
Examples of activities
● ‘Rose, Bud, Thorn’: At the start of a meeting, ask each participant to share a ‘rose’ (something positive), a ‘bud’ (something they’re looking forward to) and a ‘thorn’ (a challenge or concern). This helps create a safe space for sharing and vulnerability.
● ‘Six Thinking Hats’: Use Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ method to encourage different perspectives. Assign each participant a ‘hat’ representing a different thinking style (e.g., emotional, logical, creative) and ask them to contribute from that perspective.
● Anonymous feedback: Use an online tool to collect anonymous feedback on the meeting process or specific topics. This can uncover hidden concerns or suggestions that people may be hesitant to share openly.
● Pre-meeting input: Send out a short survey or questionnaire before the meeting to gather initial thoughts and ideas. This ensures that everyone has a chance to contribute, even if they are quieter in the meeting itself.
Creating a level playing field in meetings and fostering diversity is an ongoing process that requires commitment and intentionality. By implementing these strategies and activities, organisations can unock the full potential of their diverse teams, leading to greater innovation, creativity, and success. When every voice is heard and valued, meetings become powerful engines for positive change. Meetings can be the ‘best of times!’
Philip Atkinson’s book Bee Wise: 12 Leadership Lessons from Inside a Hive is out now.
