Making Team Communication More Inclusive

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

Hybrid Meetings ≠ Inclusive Meetings. I’ve lived it - and here’s 5 practical tips to ensure everyone has a voice, regardless of location. I spent more than 10,000 hours in hybrid meetings while as a remote leader for The Clorox Company. I was often the 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 remote attendee - while the rest of the group sat together in a conference room at HQ. Here’s what I learned the hard way: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲... ...by showing who gets heard, who feels seen, and who gets left out. If you're leading a distributed or hybrid team, how you structure your meetings sends a loud message about what (and who) matters. 𝟱 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 – who will actively combat distance bias and invite input from all meeting members 2️⃣ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 – to monitor the chat and the raised hands, to launch polls and to free up the facilitator to focus on the flow 3️⃣ 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝗻 - so that there is equal access to the chat, polls, and reactions 4️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 – pair remote team members with in-room allies to help make space in the conversation and ensure they can see and hear everything 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 – be ready with a Plan B for audio, video, or connectivity issues in the room 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. If even one person is remote, have everyone log in from their own device from their own workspace to create a level playing field. 🔗 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 for creating location-inclusive distributed teams in this Nano Tool I wrote for Wharton Executive Education: https://lnkd.in/eUKdrDVn #LIPostingDayApril

The Quiet Revolution: Why Great Leaders Close Their Mouths "The most powerful person in the room isn't the loudest. It's the one who listens." I learned this the hard way. Early in my leadership journey, I thought my job was to have all the answers. To speak first. To fill silences. What I didn't realize? Every time I rushed to speak, I shut down possibility. Last year, during a tense strategy meeting at a client organization, I watched a CEO transform her entire team dynamic with one simple phrase: "I need to hear from everyone before I share my thoughts." The ideas that emerged changed their entire product roadmap. When leaders don't listen: 🚫 Innovation dies quietly 🚫 Diverse perspectives remain unshared 🚫 Psychological safety evaporates 🚫 The most vulnerable team members disappear Recent research reveals the business impact: ✅ Teams with high psychological safety are 76% more engaged  ✅ Active listening can increase collaboration by up to 25% ✅ Organizations with psychologically safe environments see 27% lower turnover But here's what nobody tells you about real listening: It's uncomfortable. It requires you to: 👂 Hold space for emotions you didn't expect 👂 Hear feedback you might not like 👂 Sit with silence instead of filling it 👂 Change your mind when the data demands it The most inclusive cultures aren't built with grand announcements or policies. They're built in small moments of genuine attention. For my LGBTQ+ colleagues, being truly heard might be the first time they've ever felt safe bringing their whole selves to work. For your team members from underrepresented groups, your listening might be the first time they've felt their expertise valued over their identity. Try this tomorrow: 1. In your next meeting, ask a question and count to 7 before speaking again 2. When someone shares an idea, respond with "Tell me more" instead of immediate judgment 3. Notice who never speaks, and create space specifically for their voice Real listening isn't passive. It's one of the most active, purposeful things a leader can do. It's not just kindness. It's strategy. 💬 When did someone's listening change the trajectory of your career? Share below. I'm listening. In Community and Conversation, Jim

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

This Stephen Hawking quote stuck with me: "Quiet people have the loudest minds." It completely changed the way I work with my team. Why this matters (and how to make space for introverts in an extroverted world): As an extrovert, I've had to learn this the hard way. My ideas used to overpower those less willing to engage in conflict or speak up. But the truth is, some of the best ideas come from the quietest people. So how do we tap into this silent goldmine? 1. Know Where You Fall on the Introvert-Extrovert Spectrum Even introverted leaders can get overpowered by louder voices. A study by Grant et al. found that introverted leaders often outperform extroverts when leading proactive teams. But that's just the start... 2. Awareness of Where Others Fall You need to understand where each team member falls on this spectrum too. Why? Because a one-size-fits-all approach to communication doesn't resonate with everyone. So, what's the next step in creating a truly inclusive environment? 3. Public vs. Private Discussions In public, introverts might not speak up at all. One-on-one? They're more likely to debate and be vulnerable. A Harvard Business Review study found that introverts are 40% more likely to share ideas in private settings. But there's more to it... 4. Use Open-Ended Questions "What are your thoughts on this?" opens doors that "Don't you think this is the best approach?" slams shut. Still, even the best questions can fall flat if you ignore this crucial element... 5. Tonality The right words with the wrong tone can still shut down introverts. Studies show that people remember 38% of what you say, but 93% of how you say it. So, how do we put all this into practice? 6. My 3-Step Framework for Making Space for Introverts • Observe: Who speaks up? Who doesn't? • Adapt: Tailor your approach to each individual • Create: Build safe spaces for all voices As a bonus tip, try this next strategy... 7. The "Think, Pair, Share" technique: Give everyone time to think individually, then discuss in pairs before sharing with the group. This method increased participation by 75% in a study by Kagan. It's a game-changer for introverts and brainstorming in general. But never forget this: Diversity of thought leads to innovation. IBM found that teams with a mix of introverts and extroverts are 60% more innovative. The question is: how will you start tapping into your team's full potential today? If you enjoyed this and want more in-depth content like this: Join my newsletter to learn my business principles, systems, mental models, and scaling to $20M annual revenue 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVhbA8RE

Someone reached out to me recently about an upcoming event, and their approach stunned me—not because of what was being asked, but HOW it was being asked. Instead of: Do you need special accommodations? Or: Can you handle stairs? The question was framed as: Would you be comfortable using the stairs to go down one flight or would the main level work better for you? Notice the difference: ✅ It assumes capability, not limitation ✅ It offers options without othering ✅ It puts comfort and preference first ✅ It treats accessibility as normal planning, not special treatment When we frame accessibility questions thoughtfully, we: ❤️ Remove stigma and awkwardness ❤️Make everyone feel valued and considered ❤️Create psychological safety for honest responses ❤️Model inclusive behavior for our entire organization When one person demonstrates inclusive communication, it ripples across everyone that sees it. Remember 1. Your words matter. 2. The way you ask questions shapes culture. 3. Small changes in language create massive shifts in belonging. What’s one way you could reframe a question to be more inclusive in your workplace? #InclusiveLeadership #Accessibility #WorkplaceCulture #DEI #Leadership #Inclusion #Communication #BelongingAtWork ❣️❣️❣️❣️ I made sure to thank this person privately—because when someone embraces inclusive language , recognition matters too.