1 min readWhen They Won’t Participate
by Guy Gage | January 28, 2018 | Business
This situation could be in a firm meeting, a client meeting or a community board meeting. It’s all the same: as the meeting leader, you have the responsibility to make it work and no one is helping you. That’s when you get irritated with people or intimidated that you don’t know what to do. What CAN you do?
Well, there is something that experienced meeting leaders do that will draw them out.
I remember sitting in a client-team meeting where there was a partner, a manager and two younger staff. The well-meaning partner really wanted to get his team’s input on serving the client better, but as usual, he talked and they just sat there. The more he spoke, the less they engaged. The less they engaged, the more he spoke. Hmm. Sounds like a reinforcing loop to me.
After a while, one of the younger staff remembered a comment the client had made and remarked about it. His addition added a dimension of thought that altered the direction of the meeting. As I observed, I knew this was a moment of truth for the partner. How he responded would set the tone for the remainder of the meeting.
Fortunately, the partner responded well and acknowledged the accountant’s contribution. He said, “Oh yeah. They did say that. Thanks for reminding me.” While the accountant’s comment altered the course of the discussion, the partner’s response changed the tenor of the meeting. Slowly, there was more participation by all in offering ideas and suggestions. People engage when the feel their contributions matter.
“That’s a good point, Ellen.”
“When Al made his comment, he triggered a thought I hadn’t considered.”
“I like that your perspective is making us think differently about this.”
Even if you aren’t leading the meeting or you’re not of the highest stature, you can respond this way. It has the same effect—people feel good, valued and wanting to participate. These are the teams that work well and are fun to be on.
Try it and let me know how it goes. We all learn together.
Read Related Blogs:
Don’t Rush Past the Finish Line
After an intense tax deadline, it can be tempting to immediately move on to the next thing. There are emails to catch up on. Projects that were pushed aside. Conversations that need to happen. And, of course, there’s always another deadline somewhere on the horizon....
While We Get The Work Done
One week to go. There will be plenty of reasons to focus only on getting the work done and meeting the deadline, but leadership is happening in the middle of it all. In the conversation with the staff member who is overwhelmed. In the decision to pause and coach...
When Everything Feels Urgent
As another deadline gets closer, there’s no shortage of things that feel urgent. A client needs something. A return needs review. A staff member has a question. Someone is behind. And suddenly, everything feels like it needs your attention right now. This is where...
