Have you ever been in a meeting so enjoyable that you wish it would never end? Me neither. I realize that you may have said yes. If you did, I sure wish I could hear the details. Research shows that most of us generally do not enjoy meetings. If anything, we tend to dread them. That's too bad because in many organizations, employees spend a lot of time in meetings. In fact, recent studies report rising numbers of meetings in the workplace. This is due in part to an increase in teamwork and collaboration. Meetings matter to leaders because they consume a lot of time. Leaders should use that time wisely. They can focus on the fact that meetings are a key site of cultivating inclusion and promoting the power of diversity. To quote leadership scholars Kathryn Heath and Brenda Wensil, "It stands to reason that if an organization desires a more inclusive culture and leaders want to model inclusion, then meetings are the place to start." Furthermore, they said, "Fostering a culture of inclusive meetings is emerging as a competitive advantage." Research about inclusive meetings provides guidance for leaders. One study reported that three groups who especially felt overlooked in meetings are introverts, remote workers, and women. The researcher, Renee Cullinan blamed this on hidden biases against these groups. For example, introverts may sometimes take longer than extroverts to analyze problems and offer ideas. Therefore, processes that don't allow adequate time are biased against introverts. If they do not get an opportunity to contribute, they may disengage and feel demoralized. Cullinan outlined ways to reduce biases against introverts, remote workers, and women. I will share some of her suggestions later. There are many ways to facilitate meetings to be more inclusive of all employees. I will now highlight some key recommendations. For more extensive information, please consult the readings for this lesson. To make meetings more inclusive, start with yourself. Set an intention to be curious about how you and others interact during meetings. Allow awareness of being a role model to motivate you. Draw upon the communication concepts and techniques that we have covered in this course. Be proactive before, during, and after meetings. Beforehand, consider challenges to inclusion that might impact meetings. Be prepared to minimize behaviors or biases known to disadvantage members of certain groups. For instance, multiple studies conclude that women tend to be more frequently interrupted in meetings. In addition, others tend to take women's ideas less seriously. As Cullinan explained, these behaviors are known as manterrupting as a man unnecessarily interrupting at women and mansplaining, a man interrupting a woman to explain something that she actually knows better than he does. Set the stage for inclusion. For in-person meetings, the physical setup of the space matters. An oval table or U-shaped configuration where everyone can see each other is preferable. Readings for this lesson offer additional ideas plus suggestions for how to set up virtual meetings to be inclusive. Provide information to help attendees prepare. For instance, state the purpose of the meeting and share related data or reports. This can be valuable to some introverts or others who would like time to think in advance. In addition, ask a participant her special needs such as wheelchair access. During meetings, inclusive behaviors in meetings range from making sure that everyone has a chance to speak, to acknowledging someone's contribution, to noticing microaggressions, responding microaggressions, listening actively, and offering micro-affirmations. Set the tone for inclusion. Heath and Wensil encourage leaders to begin meetings by explaining their commitment to inclusion. One way to do that is to remind attendees of the organization's values related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If anyone helped with meeting logistics, thank them whether they are at the meeting or not. This shows that you value all employees' efforts. Another way to set the tone is to establish guidelines for inclusive interaction and to ask attendees to agree to honor them. Examples include, we will work to create a safe atmosphere for open discussion and we will recognize and value the uniqueness of each individual. Listen actively. As I described in the lesson on listening, pay attention to verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Be aware that you are modeling how to be an active listener. Observe closely. Notice if anyone is dominating the discussion, including yourself. Watch for interrupters. Try to see if anyone's seems to be overlooked or discounted. Monitor individuals who do not participate. Note who makes particularly useful or innovative contributions. Intervene gracefully. If someone is interrupted, step in quickly. You might say, "Wait a minute, I'm not sure that Laqida has finished" or "Hold on, I want to hear more of what Carlos has to say" or "Excuse me, I'd like Susan to finish her thought" or "Ed, let's allow Ming to tell us herself what she means." Acknowledge individuals who make exceptional contributions. As I explained in the lesson on feedback, be specific. Notice the difference between, "Great idea Ahmed" and "Ahmed, your idea takes an innovative approach to responding to our clients needs. Thank you." Wrap up. At the end of the meeting, summarize what has occurred. Outline next steps. Thank the attendees. If they have engaged with one another inclusively, tell them that. After meetings. Send an email that recaps the meeting and asks for additional thoughts. This can be useful for introverts or others who may not had enough time to process. That includes individuals for whom the language spoken during the meeting is not their primary language. If you observed anyone who may had seemed uncomfortable or who did not actively participate, reach out to them. Tell them that you value their contributions. Ask them if there's anything you might do to help them to participate more actively. If you notice someone do something that seemed like a microaggression, contact them to discuss it. For guidelines, refer to the recommendations in the lesson on microaggressions. For recurring meetings, ask attendees for feedback about how you doing. You can either send them an e-mail or a link to a brief anonymous survey. Take time after meetings to reflect on what happened. Be honest with yourself about what you did well and what you might need to work on. Finally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are frequently meeting virtually. I've included a resource about how to lead inclusive virtual meetings in your course materials. Examples of best practices include, identify partners to help with technical aspects of the meeting, share guidelines for interactions such as keeping one's camera on, be sure that everyone has access to materials, give participants an equal chance to engage, and be mindful of participants with disabilities. Heath and Wensil observed that context and technologies for meetings have changed. They said, "We gather virtually across time zones and often with far less face-to-face time. Yet," they continued, "One thing has not changed. Meetings are still the prime venue to build and foster a fully inclusive culture that engages and equips people to do their very best at work." As a leader, it's your job to make sure they do. Who knows? You might lead a meeting where participants hope that it will never end.
