Ways to Make Innovation Workshops More Inclusive

Are your meetings dominated by the same voices? Are brilliant ideas left unspoken? You're not alone. Many leaders struggle to ensure every team member feels heard. Here's a harsh truth: If the same 2-3 people dominate your meetings, you're hemorrhaging innovation potential every single day. The culprit? Your inability to embrace silence. Most leaders ask a question and wait 1.8 seconds before moving on or calling on the usual suspects. The cost? Every breakthrough idea from your quieter, more thoughtful team members. Try this tomorrow: The 7-Second Rule. 👉Ask your question 👉Shut up (completely) 👉Count to 7 in your head 👉Watch what happens Why 7 seconds? It allows for reflection, encourages diverse input, and empowers quieter team members. Impact: - Empowerment: Every voice matters, not just the loudest. - Quality Ideas: Unearth deeper insights and creative solutions. - Cultural Shift: Signal that thoughtful contributions are valued. The hardest part? Resist the urge to fill the silence! Instead: - Ask engaging questions. - Embrace the pause. - Observe and reinforce positively. Leaders, your silence speaks volumes. It creates space for innovation and builds an inclusive culture. This deceptively simple tactic transforms meetings instantly. 👍Your quick thinkers still contribute 👍Your reflective thinkers finally speak up 👍Your junior staff stop self-censoring 👍Your discussions become exponentially richer I've watched leadership teams implement this one change and unlock ideas that were buried under years of "only the loud survive" culture. Great leaders don't just make decisions – they architect environments where the best decisions can emerge from anyone, regardless of title or temperament. If you try it and it works, please reach out and share your story.

Early in my career, I worked with two very different leaders within the same company. Under the first, team meetings were silent affairs where new ideas were often met with criticism. We stopped contributing. When I moved teams, my new manager actively encouraged input and acknowledged every suggestion, even the imperfect ones. Our productivity and innovation skyrocketed. This experience taught me the power of psychological safety. That feeling that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, or concerns. Here are three concrete ways leaders can foster psychological safety in meetings: 1. Practice "Yes, and..." thinking. Replace "That won't work because..." with "Yes, and we could address that challenge by..." This simple language shift acknowledges contributions while building on ideas rather than shutting them down. 2. Create equal airtime. Actively notice who's speaking and who isn't. Try techniques like round-robin input or asking quieter team members directly: "Alyzah, we haven't heard your perspective yet. What are your thoughts?" 3. Normalize vulnerability by modeling it. Share your own mistakes and what you learned. When leaders say "I was wrong" or "I don't know, let's figure it out together," it gives everyone permission to be imperfect. AA✨ #PsychologicalSafety #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceBelonging

Earlier this year, I facilitated a strategy session where one person’s voice dominated while quiet team members retreated into their shells. Halfway through, I paused, put everyone into small groups, and gave them roles to pick up. Here's how it works: 1️⃣ Assign Roles: Each small group had a Questioner, Connector, and Synthesizer. - Questioner: Probes deeper and asks clarifying, “why?” and “how?” questions. - Connector: Links ideas across people, points out overlaps and sparks “aha” moments. - Synthesizer: Distills discussion into concise insights and next-step recommendations. 2️⃣ Clarify Focus: Groups tackled one critical topic (e.g., “How might we streamline on-boarding?”) for 10 minutes. 3️⃣ Reconvene & Share: Each group’s Synthesizer distilled insights in 60 seconds. The result? Silent participants suddenly spoke up, ideas flowed more freely, and we landed on three actionable priorities in our timebox. Next time you sense a lull in your meeting/session/workshop, try role-based breakouts. #Facilitation #Breakouts #TeamEngagement #ActiveParticipation Sutey Coaching & Consulting --------------------------------------------- ☕ Curious to dive deeper? Let’s connect. https://lnkd.in/gGJjcffw