Have you ever been caught in a never-ending meeting with one person dominating the conversation? Or, maybe you’re the one inadvertently taking up all the airtime. As a business leader, it’s crucial to know how to facilitate a meeting – rather than dominate it – so that everyone’s voices are heard and valued.
In this article, David Skriloff will share five tips to ensure better collaboration, engagement, and productivity during your meetings.
Boost Team Collaboration: David Skriloff On How to Facilitate, Not Dominate, Your Meetings
1. Define Objectives and Set an Agenda
Before every meeting, define the objectives and send an agenda to all attendees, says David Skriloff. This helps to anchor the discussion, focus the participants’ attention, and prevent the meeting from deviating off course. Encourage team members to contribute to the agenda and allocate time to each topic so everyone knows what to expect.
2. Give Everyone a Voice
When a single person controls the conversation, it’s challenging for others to share their thoughts and ideas. To create a more inclusive environment, allocate speaking time to each participant and actively invite input from quieter team members. To avoid unconscious bias, be aware of your own tendency to call on specific individuals more frequently than others.
3. Encourage Active Listening
Active listening is the cornerstone of successful collaboration. Encourage team members to listen attentively and refrain from interrupting others. During the meeting, you can also assign one person to take notes and summarize the key points. This serves as both a commitment to listening and a mechanism for capturing essential details.
4. Be Mindful of Dominant Behaviors
Ensure that you don’t become the dominant voice in the room. As a leader, your role is to facilitate – guiding the discussion, inviting collaboration, and ensuring that every participant feels heard. One way to do this is to limit your own speaking time and redirect the conversation toward the team members, especially those who might need encouragement to contribute.
5. Wrap Up with Action Items and Follow-Up
At the end of the meeting, review the key points, decisions, and action items, says David Skriloff. Assign responsibility for each task with clear deadlines, and establish a follow-up plan to ensure accountability. This way, team members know what’s expected of them and feel involved in the project’s next steps.
David Skriloff’s Concluding Thoughts
Effective facilitation ensures meetings are productive and engaging, fostering a collaborative atmosphere and maximizing team performance. As a business leader, mastering the art of facilitation benefits not only your team but also your position as an influential and inclusive leader.
Remember these five tips by David Skriloff for effectively facilitating your meetings: define objectives and set an agenda, give everyone a voice, encourage active listening, be mindful of dominant behaviors, and wrap up with action items and follow-up. By adopting these practices, you can transform your meetings from monologues to meaningful conversations that drive your team forward.