A team member feels left out of decision-making. How will you ensure their voice is heard?

In meetings, or private conversations with the head of a particular department, I might mention that, "This person has some great ideas on that topic." If that person is present, I'll ask if they want to clarify, and if not I'll suggest that the person I'm talking to say something to that person.

Once the issue is brought to my notice, I will first have a one on one with the employee who feels left out and listen to all their concerns without judgement. From the next meeting I would consciously make an effort to invite the quite member to contribute and express their ideas more freely eventually helping them find their ground so that they can continue to contribute and feel heard and appreciated.

My perception for this is to create an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued and heard. Encourage open communication and regularly solicit input from all team members during meetings. For example, you can implement a round-robin format during discussions to ensure everyone has a chance to speak. Additionally, using anonymous suggestion tools can help team members share their ideas without hesitation, ensuring all voices are considered in the decision-making process.

I will schedule time to privately meet with the team member to understand their perspective without others present. I will thank them for bringing this to my attention and reassure my commitment to inclusive decision making. To remedy this, I will add their ideas and concerns to upcoming meeting agendas to formally include their voice. Going forward, I will check-in with them between meetings to maintain their involvement. If issues arise, we will work together to resolve them earlier through respectful dialogue. Incorporating different views strengthens outcomes. With open communication, their valuable contributions will be heard and help energize the entire team.

The Executive Director of my company will send out a company email asking each of us to DM him with thoughts or added perspective. I recently started a company newsletter, and I try to do the same, asking for ideas, writing contributions, or "ads" for fundraisers or gatherings, etc.

Though I'm nowhere near the leadership structure of our company, part of my job is connecting people with the right manager for whatever they're dealing with. If someone says something that I think is helpful, I say, "You should mention that to <name of the manager>. Tell them you have ideas concerning <the topic, which falls into that manager's area of expertise.>" Later, I'll ask the manager, "Did this person ever talk to you about their idea on <the topic>?"

Understand the root causes of why individuals feel their views aren't heard in meetings. This requires empathy and a willingness to explore the issue from multiple angles. A few key areas to consider: 1. Are meetings structured in a way that encourages diverse perspectives? 2. Are meetings rushed, leaving insufficient time for everyone to contribute? 3. Are there dominant personalities who monopolize conversations? Actively invite quieter voices. 3. Offer training or coaching on communication, assertiveness, and public speaking for the person. 4. Is there a culture of psychological safety where people feel safe to speak up? 5. Are there unconscious biases that may be contributing? Explore mitigations for root causes identified.

As a team leader in this situation, I will need to develop an inclusion technique for taking suggestions of each and every team member. This will help in making sure each and every team member's voice is heard on the matter. One needs to note that not all suggestions are correct in providing the solutions needed, hence, as a leader, you must communicate to members whose suggestions were not considered, the reasons of rejection.