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Try these techniques: Ask for a show of hands on an issue. Toss out an open-ended question and see who takes the ball. Toss out an open-ended question and suggest that you go around the circle and let everyone give his or her views individually. Present your question or issue in writing, give all members a copy, and ask them to jot their responses quickly. Take up the responses and read them to the group for reactions. Invite nonparticipators by name: ''Carl, we haven't heard from youwhat do you think?" Finally, you might assign two or three people a devil's-advocate role and ask them to toss out any objections they can think of. |
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Participation takes effort, and some people are too preoccupied, uninterested, or tired to contribute without encouragement. |
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Tip 366: Don't set people up to refute you. |
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If you've already made a decision and intend simply to present the decision at a meeting, say so. If you still have doubt that your decision or planned course of action is the best, say so. But not like this: "I've decided to do X unless someone has a serious objection." Few will have the chutzpah to speak up. If you want to get feedback whether or not you plan to change your mind, try something like this: "I've decided to do X. What do you think the fallout will be from our customers/employees/management?" or "I plan to proceed with Y; what positives and negatives do you think I might have to deal with?" |
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In any case, don't announce your decision or plan in such a way that people have to "refute" or "oppose" you to give you feedback. If you want feedback and forewarning of the difficulties, make it easy for people to speak their minds. |
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Tip 367: Don't use the group as camouflage. |
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Don't use a meeting as a way to make your point with someone else when you don't have the courage to make it directly. Meetings are not battlefields. |
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Tip 368: Discuss taboo issues anonymously. |
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If you know certain issues are hot topics and politically dangerous to careers, you have to work hard at creating a safe environment. Consider doing an anonymous survey on the issues and simply "reporting the results" for discussion. Or, you can quote anonymous sources from the grapevine. Say: "Someone has expressed the fear that . . . How do you think we can |
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