Are your meetings truly engaging for everyone, or do they inadvertently exclude certain voices? The way we conduct meetings is a powerful indicator of how much inclusion is present within a team, and it’s a prime opportunity for individuals to practice allyship.
Think about your recent meetings:
- Do the same individuals consistently dominate the conversation and decision-making?
- Who gets interrupted most often?
- Who seems hesitant to contribute?
- How do you feel when a meeting concludes?
These questions, explored in Next Pivot Point’s Facilitate Inclusive Meetings workshop, highlight key areas where we can cultivate greater inclusion in both virtual and in-person settings.
The Impact of Unequal Airtime
Data consistently shows that majority groups (often white, male, cisgender, straight, able-bodied individuals) tend to command more airtime in meetings, make a disproportionate number of decisions, and are more likely to interrupt others. This often means that historically marginalized individuals—people of color, women, gender non-binary individuals, transgender individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with physical or cognitive disabilities—are less likely to participate fully and contribute to meeting outcomes.
This imbalance can leave majority group members feeling satisfied, while those from historically marginalized groups often feel unheard, unseen, and undervalued. This directly hinders inclusion, impacts the retention of diverse talent, and can fuel the misconception that “we can’t find diverse talent, or they don’t stay.” The truth is, a culture of exclusion, often perpetuated in meeting dynamics, might be the real culprit.
Meeting behavior is a significant barrier to building truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams. The feeling you have after a meeting is a powerful barometer of your overall engagement at work and a strong indicator of the level of inclusion you experience.
Strategies to Enhance Meeting Inclusion and Allyship
- Establish Clear Rules of Engagement: Define agreed-upon meeting norms upfront for recurring meetings, and have a few ready for new ones. Encourage the team to co-create these rules. For them to be effective, the facilitator must actively hold everyone accountable, demonstrating allyship by ensuring all voices are respected. Consider these starting points:
- “We want to hear from everyone, even if it’s ‘I don’t know.'”
- “We value honesty; it’s about getting better, not being perfect.”
- “This is a brave space where everyone can be their full self, fostering inclusion for all.”
- Encourage Early Participation from Everyone: Implement strategies to get everyone to share early in the meeting. For example, go around and have each person speak briefly. Recognize that not everyone is comfortable sharing publicly, and some may need time to process. To support processors and introverts, start with a quick check-in question. The sooner people participate, the more likely they are to contribute throughout the meeting. A one-word check-in on feelings, a word to describe their week, or a short share on the meeting’s topic can be great icebreakers—no need for superficial trust-building exercises. This deliberate effort to draw out all voices is a powerful act of allyship.
- Strive for Commitment, Not Consensus: Don’t drag out conversations until everyone agrees on the same outcome. This often leads to watered-down and difficult-to-implement decisions. Instead, anchor to a well-vetted idea early and invite people to build upon it. Inclusive teams have skilled facilitators who guide the conversation rather than letting it drift. They bring people back on track with questions like, “Who wants to build off that idea?” or “How does that relate to the idea we’re currently discussing?” This focused approach ensures efficient decision-making while still valuing diverse input, demonstrating allyship to the decision-making process.
While truly inclusive meetings might seem to take more time upfront, they ultimately save time in the long run. More importantly, they lead to better business results—fostering greater innovation, improving decision-making, and boosting revenues and profits.
By investing the time and effort in creating inclusive meetings and by practicing active allyship within those meetings, you are directly contributing to increased diversity, equity, and inclusion within your team and organization.
What’s one change you can implement in your next meeting to foster greater inclusion and allyship?