Sometimes a group is quiet when you want them to be engaged and lively. Consider first why they are quiet…is it the subject? Who else is present? Assuming you think this through and have addressed the issue(s) as you see them but participants are still quieter than you’d like, here are some alternative actions you can take:
o Consider an icebreaker to kick off the meeting. Even when attendees know each other, an exercise can set a friendly and cooperative tone for the meeting.
o Make sure everyone is clear on the purpose of the meeting.
o Give quiet participants a chance to express themselves by asking them personally for their thoughts (“Mary, what do you think we might do?”) and working around the room one person at a time so everyone knows they will be asked to participate.
o Use meeting guidelines or ground rules. Include full participation as one of the guidelines so you can refer to it if the discussion is lopsided. For example, “I notice that a lot of us are not involved in this conversation. Remember we agreed that full participation is important. Can we hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet?”
o Emphasize that differences of opinion are welcome and that better decisions result from consideration of diverse ideas and thinking. Then make it comfortable for the differences to be expressed by supporting opposing opinions equally: “So there are several ways to look at this situation. Great! That means we will not overlook anything.”
o Be aware, prior to the meeting, what is going on in the organization. For example, if people are working long hours and are extremely busy then you might reschedule the meeting for a quieter time. This is particularly true with organizations that have busy “seasons” – retailers, educators, camps, etc. You will encounter resistance if you ask people to attend a meeting in addition to everything they are already doing. Find a way to make the meeting easy to come to with an attentive and open mind.
Source by Peg Kelley