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“I’m noticing that there may be ideas that aren’t being shared in our meetings. I’ve talked
to people individually and received XYZ feedback. I would like us to have a culture of
open communication in meetings and wonder what we can do to encourage this.”
Reflect on the learning as a group.
Team members may be hesitant at first to participate in this discussion but give them time
to think about their responses. Use the following questions to guide the team:
What benefits might we experience from including diverse perspectives?
What will the team lose if great ideas are not surfaced in our discussion?
What are the ways we can create a safe environment for open and honest
communication?
What are the new norms our team can embrace to sustain open communication in
meetings?
It may take several meetings and some follow-up communication to shift the trust of the
team, but the rewards will justify the effort.
Step #3. Take actions based on your team’s suggestions and start implementing quick
wins
Implement your team’s feedback as soon as possible to show them you are serious about
building open communication in meetings. Here are some strategies that can help to
consistently bring candid voices into the room.
TIP #1. Establish and rotate the “challenger” role in meetings.
Make “raising issues or concerns” in meetings a norm. Some teams create a “challenger”
role, or “devil’s advocate,” to challenge group think and raise unpopular ideas. According
to Detert, “It’s a good way to show that this process of putting things on the table is
everybody’s job. And everybody does it without consequence.”
TIP #2. Use sticky notes to invite different ideas.
Ask participants to write down their ideas anonymously on sticky notes and post them on
the wall instead of sharing verbally. Everyone comes up with their own ideas without
feeling pressure to conform to the ideas of others. Everyone participates, including the
meeting leader, further democratizing the meeting process.
Step #4. Build off of your successes
Once you establish some quick wins, ride the momentum and introduce the concept of
norms to create lasting change. Here are some example norms you can establish in your
team meetings:
Ask clarifying questions to avoid making incorrect assumptions.
Make sure everyone’s voice is heard.
Balance your participation – speak and listen.
Listen actively to teammates without interrupting others.
Say it now, in the room. Avoid waiting until later to raise an issue.
All voices count. All opinions are valid, but offer reasoning behind your thinking.
Like in any relationship, it can take time to establish trust. A meeting leader must be
patient and consistently model an attitude which welcomes open communication. When
a meeting leader is transparent with her team, the team is more likely to reciprocate with
honest feedback.
Ready to build a meeting culture that supports open communication? Share this article to
let your team know. And let us know your meeting communication challenges and
successes!