Leaders have found that meetings in which team members openly communicate about business issues and participate in problem solving produce better results than those in which people sit and listen. There are different levels of participation in meetings; the most desirable is a fully interactive environment. Voting in a meeting to make decisions is a level of participation, but consensual decisions or committed construction results in more active participation. When meetings require increased participation, there are a few things a leader can choose from to increase group participation and member participation.

1. Get their opinion on the agenda items before the meeting. This can be done outside of the meeting by sending the proposed agenda in an email requesting comments or with a phone call to each person after it is sent. Another way to get their input is to always plan the next meeting agenda together at the end of each meeting.
2. Encourage active participation by writing it down in the team’s ground rules. Co-creating ground rules and posting them at all meetings will emphasize the need for full participation.
3. Use short icebreakers or team building exercises at the beginning of meetings so that people will talk right away. Icebreakers help team members get to know each other and increase comfort levels. Group or pair exercises may be related to a problem within the team to overcome or to the main topic of the meeting.
4. Always explain the purpose of the meeting and inform the members and how it affects them or their work. This helps the meeting answer the question “what do I get?” And encourage their help to achieve the best results in the meeting.
5. When brainstorming in the meeting, always use the free-for-all brainstorming technique. This technique ensures that everyone takes turns contributing until most people start to run out of ideas.
6. Create a safe and respectful environment for the open exchange of ideas and opinions. One way to do this is to never allow someone’s questions or comments to be belittled; everyone can add value, even the devil’s advocate.
7. Use structured activities or processes when solving problems to focus everyone on participating equally. This includes taking visible notes of what is said during meetings because seeing their thoughts captured lets members know that their contributions are valued and encourages others to build on what they see and hear in the meeting.
8. For any meeting topic that requires discussion, plan extra time to allow everyone 2-3 minutes of talk time each. Be sure to encourage everyone to share thoughts, opinions, pros and cons during discussion time.
9. Consider changing meeting times to wake up the group. If you always meet after lunch, people may be too tired to focus and participate. Whereas if the meetings are just before lunch, people may be too hungry to think and interact properly.
10. Ask the group for ideas to make the meeting more interactive. Members may have a particular exercise they want to try or techniques they have used before that the team can benefit from. Be sure to try out some of the different ideas in subsequent meetings.

Consider and choose different ways to increase participation in meetings. Another idea that is often suggested to increase participation is to provide treats or meals during meetings. Refreshments at a meeting can encourage attendance, but remember that attendance does not mean active participation. To be actively involved in problem solving and decision making, leaders must create an environment in which team members feel comfortable communicating and participating.