It’s not enough to make sure everyone in your team is invited to meetings. Inclusive and connected leaders, make sure everyone gets adequate airtime too, that their voice is heard and their opinion matters (especially when working virtually).
Often it's the out-spoken extroverts or longest standing employees who can take up all the airtime in a virtual meeting and get their perspectives heard. Whilst the introverts, less confident or less experienced teams members might be overlooked or not feel like their voice matters as much.
Leaders must monitor the airwaves and regulate when necessary.
Hacks to regulate the airwaves to increase connection and inclusion include:
Build thinking time into meetings:
This is as simple as saying, ‘Before we all respond and discuss, l will give you a few minutes to jot down your thoughts.’ This allows an opportunity for all the team to process their thoughts and ideas before responding.Create ritual questions:
Create rituals at key points in a meeting with questions such as, “Who haven’t we heard from yet?” and “What is an additional perspective we haven’t considered?”Return to the interrupted:
While preventing interruptions in the midst of an engaged conversation, especially virtual meetings, can be counterproductive, one thing leaders can do is return to the interrupted. If someone is talked over, go back to them and ask, “Hey x, please go ahead and finish your thought?” or “I’d love to hear the rest of x’s point before we move on.”
It's important in this time of virtual working that everyone feels like their opinion matters. This simple hack can help you elevate their voice and make them feel more included and connected, give it a go!
Keep smiling, look after yourself and your team!
Building Sticky Virtual Relationships
Download the first of the seven-part 'Stickiness Hacks'. Spend five minutes to reflect on how you are tracking on building sticky relationships within your team. Brainstorm one action that you commit to improving the level of trust and team connection.
It's time to check, reflect and plan your actions!
BLYTHE ROWE & Her Life on Heels.
The founder and director of Human Incite, is widely recognised for her passion, energy and her ability to shake things up. Blythe is brilliant at revving-up productivity and performance in organisations. She is on a mission to rid our workplaces of toxic behaviours, build meaningful relationships, personally and professionally and create workplaces worth belonging. Her enthusiasm simply is infectious!