You're leading a cross-functional meeting. How do you ensure every team member feels heard and valued?
Leading a cross-functional meeting requires creating an inclusive environment where all team members feel valued. Here's how to make sure everyone feels heard:
How do you ensure every voice is heard in your meetings? Share your strategies.
You're leading a cross-functional meeting. How do you ensure every team member feels heard and valued?
Leading a cross-functional meeting requires creating an inclusive environment where all team members feel valued. Here's how to make sure everyone feels heard:
How do you ensure every voice is heard in your meetings? Share your strategies.
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We will start the meeting by emphasizing the importance of each person’s input, we will make it clear that everyone's voice matters,& encourage open dialogue.Foster a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, regardless of their role or seniority.One must address any potential barriers to participation,such as power dynamics, & actively encourage diverse perspectives.To ensure quieter team members contribute,we should ask for their opinions directly,by addressing their names,this shows that their input is valued.After the meeting, we should follow up with individual team members if we sense they didn’t have the opportunity to fully contribute. after the meeting is over ask for feedback on how the meeting could be improved.
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In a small group this is possible. In a large group, you should expect that some people will walk away not feeling heard or valued. Design for that reality. Few things I've found helpful: 1. Speak with all participants in advance of the meeting and provide rules, pre-reads and channels to express opinions confidentially upfront. 2. Have clear rules for the session and enforce them. If you expect everyone to voice out and commit - make that clear in advance and hold everyone accountable. 3. Interrupt and correct people who break the rules (including yourself). Too often I see ground rules set then people who violate those rules aren't corrected. 4. Offer and ask people if they want you to raise sensitive issues on their behalf.
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Open the meeting by conveying your gratefulness for the attendance and how important every team member's presence is. Actively listen to each member's perspective and question them about the 'how' of its impact to the defined goal. Enquire for any potential concerns or foreseeable obstacles and seek most relevant and appropriate measures to address them. Actively involving the team will ensure they feel part of the plan and thus very much valued.