Inclusive Meetings

One of the many ways to demonstrate inclusion is in the way managers conduct meetings.  Some practices are specific to remote sessions, and some are excellent practices for any engagement.

  1. Have a clear plan to keep teams on track and focused.  Have meetings regularly to get status on projects as well as to build rapport.  Even when they are only for 10 minutes, it’s a touch base that replaces running into people in the break room for a quick chat.
  2. Especially in remote situations, it’s essential to have face-to-face interactions.  Just as it is in person, you can react to body language and tone of voice virtually. 
  3. Encourage your team members’ points of view. Specific demographics tend to stay quiet, and others are more vocal.  In meetings, the conversation profits from being as broad as the number of people in them.  Draw out those shyer folks as they may have a fresh idea.  Then, consider the array of ideas equally. 
  4. Team meetings and one-to-one conversations are equally important.  Spend time getting to know direct reports individually to understand their needs and viewpoints.  These meetings are most effective when they are open, timely, transparent, and frequent.  Build an environment of trust and positive intent. 
  5. Share information from upper levels and other departments.  You want honesty and transparency.  Be open about projects that are coming up and give team members equal opportunity to work on different ventures.
  6. Find a way to add fun to meetings and interactions.  Icebreakers and emojis done thoughtfully are inviting and can make the team more cohesive.  In between sessions, encourage impromptu conversations to break up the workday.  Some offices use Slack or Tandem for chat channels to recapture social bonding.

Consider giving your team members autonomy in the way they handle projects.  Trust that the project will be delivered on time and within budget and eliminate the need to micromanage.