Creating a Positive Atmosphere for Kickoff Meetings

Do you have trouble getting the entire team to participate in group discussions, brainstorming sessions, etc.? To get people talking in group settings, create a safe and inclusive atmosphere. Here's how: 1. Set Ground Rules: Make it clear that all opinions are valued and that it's a judgment-free zone. 2. Small Talk First: Warm up with light topics so folks get comfortable speaking. 3. Use Open-Ended Questions: Questions that can't be answered with just "yes" or "no" open up the floor for more detailed discussion. 4. Direct Invitations: Sometimes people just need a nudge. Call on them directly but offer an easy out like, "Feel free to pass." 5. Silent Moments: Pause and allow silence. This gives people time to gather their thoughts and often encourages quieter folks to chime in. 6. Positive Reinforcement: When someone does speak up, validate their contribution, even if it's just a simple "great point." 7. Anonymity: Use tools or methods that let people contribute anonymously. Then discuss the anonymous points as a group. 8. Break into Smaller Groups: Big settings can be intimidating. Smaller group discussions can make it easier for people to open up. 9. Rotate Roles: Give different team members the role of facilitator or note-taker in each meeting to encourage active participation. 10. Follow-Up: If someone doesn't speak up but you think they have valuable insights, follow up privately. They may be more comfortable sharing one-on-one. Remember, the goal is not to pressure people into speaking but to make it easier for them to do so if they wish. #leadership #teambuilding #communication

I’ve been thinking a lot about the 90 minute virtual meeting paradox. We spend the first 30 minutes on welcoming everyone and introductions, the next 15 on framing, and then a few people share thoughts. Then, just when the conversation gets meaningful, the host abruptly announces "We're out of time!” and throws a few rushed closing thoughts and announcements together. Sound familiar? We crave deep, meaningful, trust-based exchanges in virtual meeting environments that feel both tiring and rushed. It seems like as soon as momentum builds and insights emerge, it’s time to wrap up. Share-outs become a regurgitation of top-level ideas—usually focused on the most soundbite-ready insights and omitting those seeds of ideas that didn’t have time to be explored further. And sometimes, we even cite these meetings as examples of participation in a process, even when that participation is only surface level to check the participation box.  After facilitating and attending hundreds (thousands?) of virtual meetings, I've found four practices that create space for more engagement and depth: 1. Send a thoughtful and focused pre-work prompt at least a few days ahead of time that invites reflection before gathering. When participants arrive having already engaged with the core question(s), it’s much easier to jump right into conversation. Consider who designs these prompts and whose perspectives they center. 2. Replace round-robin introductions with a focused check-in question that directly connects to the meeting's purpose. "What's one tension you're navigating in this work?" for example yields more insight than sharing organizational affiliations. Be mindful of who speaks first and how difference cultural communication styles may influence participation.  3. Structure the agenda with intentionally expanding time blocks—start tight (and facilitate accordingly), and then create more spaciousness as the meeting progresses. This honors the natural rhythm of how trust and dialogue develop, and allows for varying approaches to processing and sharing.  4. Prioritize accessibility and inclusion in every aspect of the meeting. Anticipating and designing for participants needs means you’re thinking about language justice, technology and materials accessibility, neurodivergence, power dynamics, and content framing. Asking “What do you need to fully participate in this meeting?” ahead of time invites participants to share their needs. These meeting suggestions aren’t just about efficiency—they’re about creating spaces where authentic relationships and useful conversations can actually develop. Especially at times when people are exhausted and working hard to manage their own energy, a well-designed meeting can be a welcome space to engage. I’m curious to hear from others: What's your most effective strategy for holding substantive meetings in time-constrained virtual spaces? What meeting structures have you seen that actually work?

Silence is not golden. When people don’t feel safe to speak up, it leads to disengagement, unproductive conversations, and stalled learning across the organization. Here are 9 proven strategies to create psychological safety in your meetings: ✅ Set a clear agenda ↳ Clarity from the start keeps conversations focused and productive. ⚡ Pro Tip: Include key decisions, assign ownership, and use timeboxes to stay on track. ✅ Share materials in advance ↳ Pre-reads respect neurodiversity and allow thoughtful preparation. ⚡ Pro Tip: Missed the deadline? Reschedule to ensure quality input. ✅ Encourage active listening ↳ Listening signals that every voice is valued and helps build trust. ⚡ Pro Tip: Summarize contributions to show understanding and respect. ✅ Solicit junior voices first ↳ This helps reduce hierarchy bias and brings forward new perspectives. ⚡ Pro Tip: Align with leaders beforehand to prompt their feedback later in the meeting. ✅ Add a roundtable discussion ↳ Give everyone structured time to contribute—no one gets left out. ⚡ Pro Tip: Begin roundtables with clear intentions and invite all to contribute. ✅ Be an ally ↳ Research shows men interrupt women 33% more often—let’s change that. ⚡ Pro Tip: Monitor interruptions and say: “Let’s allow [Name] to finish.” ✅ Hold comments until everyone has spoken ↳ Facilitators should withhold their opinions initially to encourage unbiased discussions. ⚡ Pro Tip: Use open-ended questions like, “What perspectives haven’t we discussed?” ✅ Normalize questions and feedback ↳ Celebrate curiosity and encourage constructive challenge. ⚡ Pro Tip: Thank team members for asking insightful questions. ✅ End with clear action items ↳ Summarize decisions, assign owners, and set deadlines for accountability. ⚡ Pro Tip: Follow up with an email or tracker to ensure accountability. Looking to build stronger, more engaged teams? These small changes can lead to big results. In fact, psychological safety is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams. (Google’s Project Aristotle) Have you ever been in a meeting where psychological safety was missing? What happened? Drop your thoughts below. 👇 ♻ Reshare to help other leaders build high-performing workplaces. ➕ Follow Morgan Davis, PMP, PROSCI, MBA for insights on achieving operational excellence. 📌 Reference: 🔗 Google’s Project Aristotle: https://lnkd.in/grvspMpK

Planning an offsite meeting to close out Q3 or kick off Q4? Make sure you don't overlook these items! 1️⃣Use the Time for Things You Can Only Do In Person Send prereads to save time. Choose topics that allow people to work on the biggest challenge the team faces or where it is headed. 2️⃣Leave More Space for Conversation Than You Think Leave space for reflection, discussion, and even constructive challenge and disagreement. Structure discussions so each person can share their perspective before discussions and debates ensue. 3️⃣Lean Into Storytelling Use thoughtful icebreakers that include storytelling to learn more about one another, gain empathy, and form a comfort level and trust. Give the team different prompts to learn about each other’s professional and personal experiences and what they’ve learned from them. 4️⃣Plan many breaks Rich dialogue comes in the moments before and after sessions or on breaks. These moments create the foundation for building empathy and trust with one another. 5️⃣Focus on Meaning Research on introverts indicates that they experience an energy drain when a conversation or activity isn’t meaningful. Their brains prefer to dive deep. Agenda items should be meaningful and productive. 6️⃣ Paired Conversations Identify people that have tension to work through or need to work together better and pair them up for a conversation. This often works best as the last item before dinner. 7️⃣Closeout Hearing From Everyone The way the meeting ends impacts the way participants view the experience. To help everyone close out on a positive and satisfied note, leave time to hear from each person. Try prompts like each person sharing “What I like about this team…,” What I wish for this team…,” and “What I wonder if this team will do…” It’s a chance for everyone to firm up commitments with each other and end in a meaningful way.

Stop Tolerating Bad Meetings 7 Ways to Raise The Energy of the Room We spend most of the day in meetings. Make them better: 1. Embrace a Strong Kick-off ↳ The first moments set the tone ↳ Welcome each person by name, with eye contact 2. Break the Script ↳ Surprise wakes up rooms ↳ Open with a 60-second story or music 3. Open with Wins ↳ Success sparks momentum ↳ Catch people winning and celebrate what is working 4. Ask Better Questions ↳ Bland questions are answered with blank nods ↳ Upgrade "Feedback?" to "What makes this 10x?" 5. Accelerate Trust ↳ Highlight lessons from failures ↳ Reward those who constructively disagree 6. Make the work personal ↳ Meaning drives motivation ↳ Use stories to link individual efforts to outcomes 7. Close with Power ↳ Summarize what was learned and what's next ↳ Don't fill the space - end early if you are done Remember: Energy shifts results. Control both. What would you add? ♻️ Share to help someone 🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

When I have to lead a company-wide meeting, I often debate how to kick it off. Small talk? Ice breaker? Powerpoint? I’ve tried all the above, to varying degrees of success. Last week, I tried something new - I passed around post-it notes, and asked everyone to write down something they hoped to accomplish, discuss or feel during the meeting. It could have been a challenge they faced, a shout-out, or a need they sought to fulfill. Then we shared those goals - - More confidence on Projects X, Y, Z - Clarity on our corporate strategic plan - Support with a difficult client - Excitement for the next quarter - Praise for a new team member This process was beneficial not simply for the meeting, but for our company culture as a whole. Creating spaces that encourage honesty and sharing lead to a more productive, communicative and candid workplace. It encourages your team to find purpose in meetings they may regard are futile, or speak up when they don’t feel they have a voice. And when everyone contributes to the conversation, it offers greater learnings for leadership to consider and incorporate into planning. Establish a sharing space and create opportunities to hold each other accountable. It’s also an easy way to conclude the meeting other than “Any questions?” #negotiation #negotiationskills #negotiationtips #negotiationbydesign

Have you paid attention to how you feel after a disorganized or unproductive meeting? Most would feel neutral at best or drained and depleted at worst. How about how you feel after a meeting that infuses positivity and connection? Most would feel excited and motivated. Imagine if people were consistently energized and having the best time as a result of the meeting culture. When leaders foster emotional vitality in meetings, this is possible. How? Ideas include: - Change your mindset: the most effective meetings are not overly formal, with only business topics and read-outs. Instead, shift your focus to how you could engage in having fun, incorporating play, building in time for connection, and stimulating creativity. - Be intentional that connection and relationship building matters during the meeting. Build in time to genuinely connect at the beginning and end of meetings. When meetings emphasize positive emotions and connection, they are more productive and engaging, resulting in better outcomes.  How could everyone connect to each other and cultivate positive emotions throughout the meeting? Share an example of a meeting that felt emotionally vital!