I love the silent conversation. Big piece of paper, or pieces- depending on how many questions you have. Silence is the key! Everyone has the same colour pen, everyone has to move and answer questions and respond to others comments through questions in silence. Everyone’s voice is considered, people can share fears, without being isolated, Targeted or exposed. You don’t just hear the loudest person. You capture a team’s true thoughts, concerns, individual reflections and together you create a team legacy before you embark on something new!

Creating meeting support structures where people are encouraged to speak, and are frequently broken into smaller groups where participants have more opportunity to interact with one another, and less anonymity, is a great way to encourage participation. Having a culture at work in which creativity and new ideas are openly welcomed is also a critical factor to participation. People need to know that they are welcome to make suggestions and that those contributions are valued by the team.

To ensure active contributions during a collaborative planning session I have found the following to be effective: 1. Send the agenda beforehand and set clear expectations for participation. 2. Assign roles such as facilitator or note-taker. 3. Use activities like brainstorming or round-robin discussions. 4. Encourage open dialogue by inviting input and acknowledging ideas. 5. Monitor participation, prompting quieter members to share. 6. Provide multiple ways to contribute (e.g., speaking or digital input).

You structure it so each person has a roll and responds. It could be round robin all write (write it, say it and place it down). It could be round robin shoulder partner. There a number of structures you can use to ensure equal participation. I use these all the time. They are especially useful when working with a group to review and revise their vision, Mission, beliefs and core values.