6 ways to make sure everyone has a say

Let Their Lights Shine: Six Ways to Make Sure Everyone Has a Say (and Isn't Just Letting the Leader "Win")

1. Have the team write down their thoughts first before sharing them aloud. This gives each member a moment to consider how best to phrase their points in order to ensure that others receive the message as intended. It will also help to keep comments tight and on point versus sharing rambling thoughts off the top of their heads, or being ill-prepared to disclose any topics that they feel are worthwhile.

2. Have a small-group discussion first, followed by a large-group debrief. There is safety in numbers. If something difficult needs to be said, the spokesperson can defer to the group's thinking without taking personal responsibility. Together, they can also figure out the best way to raise a delicate issue before bringing it to the entire team's attention.

3. Have the team leader leave the room for part of the discussion. While Douglas says she doesn't normally advocate this technique, she has opted for it when extremely sensitive issues are involved or when team members feared a leader's retribution.

"In one situation, a manager whose team saw her as overbearing and unreasonable wanted to know what they expected of her as a leader," explains Douglas. "She thought they would be more open in sharing this if she were not in the room; and she was right about that. Their respectful but candid feedback, which she accepted graciously and without defensiveness, went a long way toward building a strong bond between them."

Continue reading "Six Ways to Make Sure Everyone Has a Say" on Intent.com...

Excerpted from The Firefly Effect: Build Teams That Capture Creativity and Catapult Results by Kimberly Douglas
Kimberly Douglas, SPHR, President of FireFly Facilitation, Inc., is a dynamic speaker and a nationally recognized team effectiveness expert. Using her knowledge of industrial/organizational psychology plus her real-life consulting and corporate HR executive experience, she has collaborated with hundreds of leaders over the last twenty years—at organizations such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, United Way, UPS, and even the U.S. Marine Corps—to dramatically improve their business performance.

Read Similar Articles on Intent.com

• Tips for Hiring the Right Coach
• 10 Tips for Understanding the Role of Humor in the Workplace
  
• Bringing Awareness to Work