Your team members are disengaging during meetings. How can you bring them back into the conversation?

Está claro que en una reunión debemos vernos las caras, porque hay mucho lenguaje no verbal, que no debemos dejar escapar. Creo que el plantear una pautas al inicio, no es una mala propuesta y si bien hay que coordinar el orden de participación a la misma, es fundamental crear un ambiente de escucha activa y no convertirlo en un monólogo interminable. Hacer preguntas es una buena alternativa para mantener a los intervinientes atentos. Por último, muchas veces al presenciar ponencias, veo que se centran en la teoría, utilizando un lenguaje técnico y monótono en vez de transformarlo en acción, acercándolos a la tierra, con ejemplos del día a día. Siempre debemos adaptarnos al que tenemos en frente, empatizar e interpretar las se?ales.

Disengagement could be the result of several things and they are not always internal or organizational reasons. Having check-ins with each team member or asking for feedback during meeting sessions including naming the elephant in the room. The worst use of time of team members especially if they already feel overwhelmed or stressed is to call a meeting that could have been an email or quick communication. Be mindful that meetings that run longer or go off topic can lead members to check out as well.

Clearly defined agendas then sharing it ahead of time. Then during the meeting manage time effectively help maintain the energy and focus of the team. One of my favorite things is to be able to give people time back if we get through our agenda efficiently.

In my view, clearly defining objectives before the meeting is essential for focus and engagement. By setting SMART goals and sharing them in advance, team members can prepare their ideas and contributions. This leads to more active participation and keeps discussions on track toward the desired outcomes.

Uma excelente maneira de incentivar o diálogo é levantando quest?es onde o time possa opinar, perguntas e respostas contribuem para integra??o e aumentam o interesse do time nas reuni?es.

Creating a team agreement or co-creating the team culture at the beginning of a session can enable engagement and create psychological safety for participation. Taking turns leading the meeting and facilitating conversations is another practice that encourages participation and engagement.

Leveraging technology to keep the energy up is a great move and can provide great results with minimal effort. Presenting a powerpoint slide - dont add all your talking points to the slide & add creative graphics instead. Use whiteboards either virtually or in physical spaces. Manage your teams energy like a resource if the energy goes down so will the productivity and engagement.

The great thing about assigning roles in meetings is that you can make them rotational among your team members. By incorporating some fun icebreakers, you can create a dynamic atmosphere that keeps everyone engaged. This not only ensures a smoother flow but also gives each participant an opportunity to lead and contribute in different ways, fostering a more collaborative and interactive environment.

In my view, follow-up is important. After the meeting, share a simple summary of what was discussed, any decisions made, and tasks assigned. This helps everyone stay on the same page and shows that their input matters. Regular follow-ups make sure things get done and keep everyone involved.