Your team member is silent during virtual meetings. How can you ensure their voice is heard?

Asking open ended questions is a great way to set the space as safe, and allow for a profession from low level questions to more complex questions. Using polls and asking for one word chat box replies also helps ensure when you prompt others they stay tuned to what’s next. Asking participants to keep their cameras on and to use section buttons also keeps the expectation and experience grounded in group work that’s two-way, not directive.

Assess Comfort Level: Check if the silent team member is comfortable with virtual meetings. Reach Out Privately: Have a private conversation to understand their perspective. Offer Reassurance: Provide assurance and clarify meeting expectations. Discuss Barriers: Address any personal barriers they might be facing. Build Trust: Use one-on-one interaction to build trust and show appreciation. Value Contributions: Signal that their contributions are valued and important.

Educate yourself on how to facilitate in-person and virtual meetings. Silent attendees may be being silent for a variety of reasons ... so don't look at them as if they are "wrong" for no being vocal. It's you own skills that are lacking ... so look at how you can help the quiet ones get involved. Facilitation is a skill ... a learnable skill ... so learn it.

From a belonging perspective where there is a desire for all members of the team to thrive, set the stage for inclusive participation by rotating the role of meeting facilitator among team members. This can help quieter individuals feel more engaged and responsible for the discussion flow, boosting their confidence and sense of belonging within the team. Additionally, create a safe and inclusive environment by directly inviting quieter team members to share their thoughts. You can ask open-ended questions or specifically address them with phrases like, 'I'd love to hear your perspective on this, [Name].' This approach shows that their input is valued and encourages them to participate more actively.

Reach out to your team member and make sure they are feeling heard and valued. This may require a personal call or visit. the private conversation should stay private but make sure their concerns are addressed during the next meeting.

One thing that I have found helpful is; establishing expectations for everyone to participatet at the beginning of the meeting. I explain that all voices are important and that the team will benefit from diverse opinions.

It is common that, in a group, always the same 2/3 people drive 80% of the conversation. For some personalities, such is not motivating for them to come forward and participate as well. It is very important that the facilitator designs engagement dynamics that foster everyone’s participation. Sometimes asking the quieter members to share first helps. Sometimes asking to write down their thoughts and having the facilitator reading everyone’s contributions out loud helps. I fully recommend reading and keeping at hand the book “Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making”

It's important to create an atmosphere of sharing from the beginning of the meeting. I'd pose a question and go around the group. I might pair people up and give them a question to discuss with a partner; if appropriate, debrief and ask for key thoughts or what they found in common. During the meeting I would not call out silent members; I often ask, "Is there anyone who hasn't had a chance to speak who'd like to share something?" The beauty of virtual meetings is the Chat Box - ask people to respond to a question in Chat, periodically during the meeting, as appropriate.

Foster a non-judgmental space where everyone feels safe to express their ideas without fear of criticism. Affirm their contributions to build confidence.

The 2 mentioned techniques are crucial to involve participants voicing their opinions and experiences. Most important having a safe psychological environment during training and the mutual trust also is key to engaging participation! Also attendees trust what they share is heard and being escalated to the right parties is also important!

All the meetings has to be a two way process. It should not happen that one is dictating and other is simply listening. The following practices are necessary: 🎯Connecting through polls 🎯Active usage of chat window 🎯Individually asking questions and responses 🎯The meetings must not be monotonous 🎯Encourage people to interact and engage 🎯Rewarding as the most attention seeker, most responsive candidate, most interactive speaker 🎯Every individual or group of individuals is asked to prepare on a particular subject 🎯Asking to present reports

Consider preferences and/or cultural differences that may hold someone back from speaking. For example, do they need a pre-read of the information, do they need reflection time to process the information, is there an environment in which they would feel more comfortable in? Sometimes, offering to stay on after the call after for insights/questions can be helpful. You can also build in 1-2 minutes of silent reflection before the group discussion starts for people to gather thoughts/organize what they want to share. In addition, understanding what the underlying reason for silence is can help you understand how to best support and encourage this team member. If someone has a sudden change from engaged to silent, it is a sign to dig deeper.

1. Personal Check-Ins: Reach out privately before or after meetings to understand any concerns they might have and encourage their participation. This can make them feel more comfortable and valued. 2. Use Breakout Rooms: In larger meetings, divide into smaller groups or pairs. This can make quieter members feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts in a less intimidating setting. 3. Round-Robin Technique: Use a systematic approach where each person speaks in turn. This ensures everyone has an opportunity to contribute without feeling the pressure to interject.