Three Ways to Get People to Speak Up in a Meeting
Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash
Are you often met with stony silence when leading a meeting? Here are three ways to get folks to speak up and participate:
Ask for everyone to report out. At the start of your meeting, let your audience know that you would like to hear from all of them after you introduce a concept or idea, even if it’s just for a quick 30 seconds. You’ll increase engagement and assure that everyone’s perspective is heard.
Ask specific questions. If there are people who usually hesitate to participate, ask them specific targeted questions related to their expertise. By speaking about something that they’re experts at, they’ll feel more at ease when reporting out to the group.
Give everyone a minute. Present your concept or idea, and say: “I’m going to pause and give everyone a minute to think, then I’d like to hear your thoughts.” By giving people time to process your idea, you’re more likely to get clearer, more developed feedback, and you’ll have the option to hear from everyone.
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