Best Ways to Solicit Input from Team Members

Ever been on a team that's too quiet? Not focused-quiet. But hesistant-to-speak-up quiet. I once worked with a leader whose motto was: "Silence is 100% agreement." We would chuckle politely. Our silence wasn't agreement. It was fear. Here's what I've learned after nearly two decades coaching people leaders. People don't need to find their voice. They need to feel safe using it. Here are 6 ways to create that safety, without forcing anyone to speak before they're ready: 1. Listen to learn ↳ Pause before responding: "Help me understand your thinking on…" ↳ Reflect back: "Here's what I heard, did I get that right?" ↳ Let people know when their input reshapes your thinking 2. Build confidence before the spotlight ↳ Pair teammates as "thinking partners" to test ideas before meetings ↳ Use 1:1s to help less vocal members frame input as exploratory questions ↳ Normalize iterations. "What if we considered…" often sparks breakthroughs. 3. Model transparent communication ↳ Share your thinking: "Here's my view and why I see it this way…" ↳ Be open about uncertainty. It gives others permission to speak ↳ It's okay to change your mind in public when presented with strong alternatives 4. Facilitate solution-building sessions ↳ Ask: "What would success look like for everyone involved?" ↳ Use "Yes, and…" to build momentum, not shut it down ↳ Try brainstorm rules: build on others' ideas before introducing new ones 5. Disagree without making it personal ↳ Start with: "We're debating the approach, not anyone's expertise" ↳ Use neutral framing: "There are different perspectives here" ↳ Keep feedback focused on outcomes and impact, not personality 6. Make space for the quiet thinkers ↳ End with: "Let's reflect for 24 hours before deciding" ↳ Send pre-reads with clear reflection prompts ↳ Start key conversations with a few minutes of silent thinking When you shift from demanding participation to designing for it, you're not just changing meetings. You're redefining how power flows through your organization. How do you create space for insight that isn't loud? ♻️ Feel free to share if you're working toward conversations where every voice has room. ➕ If you lead people, this space is for you. Follow me, Michelle Awuku-Tatum for insights on: ↳ Human-centered leadership, resilient teams, and intentional culture.

You don't have to be in a formal leadership position to influence change and improvement. Influence comes from building a shared purpose and anyone can do this! Let's say you’ve spotted a way to make things better, faster, or smoother at work. You know this change could really help, but when you bring it up, the team pushes back or doesn’t seem interested. ⚠️ It’s easy to get frustrated or try harder to win people over. But pushing hard usually backfires. ❗ So instead, shift your focus to shared purpose and cooperation. 👉Let’s take a common example: the weekly team meeting. 👉The problem: you see issues with meetings- they run over, lack focus, and don’t result in clear outcomes. Here's a suggested response to influence improvement... 1️⃣ Ask Questions That Spark Reflection Get your team to reflect on the current meeting process by asking: ❓ “How do you feel about our weekly meetings — are they a good use of our time?” ❓ “What parts of our meetings feel most productive, and what parts feel like a time drain?” ❓ “Do we always leave meetings knowing who’s doing what?” (This will get people thinking...) 2️⃣ Highlight shared goals. Link your idea to something the whole team values: ❓ “I know we all want to have more time for focused work. What if we could cut our meeting time in half and still get everything done?” (Now, the focus isn’t on your idea — it’s on solving a shared problem) 3️⃣ Invite Ideas and Feedback Rather than presenting a fixed solution, co-create it: ❓ "I've made a suggestion but that's just one option- what ideas do you have?” (When the team helps shape the solution, they’re more invested in making it work) 4️⃣ Start Small and Test Together Propose trying a small, low-risk change, taking into account all suggestions: ❓ “How about next week, we try a 30-minute meeting with a strict agenda and clear action points documented? We can see how it feels, adjust if needed, and then try out other ideas?" (Small tests reduce the fear of change and show that you value collaboration) 5️⃣ Celebrate Progress as a Team If the new approach works, recognize the team effort: ❗ “Our meeting was only 30 minutes, and we still got through everything! ❗ “It’s great to see us using our time more effectively. Let’s keep this going.” You could apply these 5 steps to influencing any kind of change or improvement....oh and don't forget to be prepared, use data and work on those communication skills! What do you think? Could you try this to help build your #influence skills? Do you have any tips from your own experience? Leave your comments below 🙏

Are your meetings dominated by the same voices? Are brilliant ideas left unspoken? You're not alone. Many leaders struggle to ensure every team member feels heard. Here's a harsh truth: If the same 2-3 people dominate your meetings, you're hemorrhaging innovation potential every single day. The culprit? Your inability to embrace silence. Most leaders ask a question and wait 1.8 seconds before moving on or calling on the usual suspects. The cost? Every breakthrough idea from your quieter, more thoughtful team members. Try this tomorrow: The 7-Second Rule. 👉Ask your question 👉Shut up (completely) 👉Count to 7 in your head 👉Watch what happens Why 7 seconds? It allows for reflection, encourages diverse input, and empowers quieter team members. Impact: - Empowerment: Every voice matters, not just the loudest. - Quality Ideas: Unearth deeper insights and creative solutions. - Cultural Shift: Signal that thoughtful contributions are valued. The hardest part? Resist the urge to fill the silence! Instead: - Ask engaging questions. - Embrace the pause. - Observe and reinforce positively. Leaders, your silence speaks volumes. It creates space for innovation and builds an inclusive culture. This deceptively simple tactic transforms meetings instantly. 👍Your quick thinkers still contribute 👍Your reflective thinkers finally speak up 👍Your junior staff stop self-censoring 👍Your discussions become exponentially richer I've watched leadership teams implement this one change and unlock ideas that were buried under years of "only the loud survive" culture. Great leaders don't just make decisions – they architect environments where the best decisions can emerge from anyone, regardless of title or temperament. If you try it and it works, please reach out and share your story.

Ever notice that the same voices dominate meetings while others stay silent? It’s not that quieter employees have nothing to say sometimes the environment doesn’t always invite them in. One of my clients, a team leader, realized this after returning to in-person meetings. Some of her most thoughtful team members, who had contributed actively in remote settings, had gone quiet. She could have assumed they had nothing to add. Instead, she made small but powerful changes: ✔️ She shared agendas ahead of time, giving introverts space to prepare. ✔️ She encouraged written input, so ideas weren’t lost if someone didn’t speak in the moment. ✔️ She actively invited quieter team members into discussions without putting them on the spot. The result? More engagement, better discussions, and a stronger team dynamic. If you’re a leader, remember: speaking up isn’t just an employee’s responsibility, it’s also about how you create space for them to do so. I share additional strategies in a recent YouTube video: https://lnkd.in/giHj2kYb #LeadingQuietly #IntrovertAtWork

Your best decisions? They’re waiting in the room with your team. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a leader is this: the best decisions aren’t made in isolation—they’re made together. When you involve your team in decision-making, you’re doing more than solving problems. You’re: → 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Everyone brings a unique lens, which leads to more creative and well-rounded solutions. → 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: When people have a say, they’re more invested in the outcome. → 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: Collaborative decision-making is a learning process that helps everyone improve. But collaboration isn’t about taking a poll and going with the majority vote—it’s a skill that takes intentionality. Here are some practices that have worked for me: 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Before the discussion, align everyone on the problem you’re trying to solve. This keeps conversations focused. 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁 Actively invite opinions from quieter voices or team members with different perspectives. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆 Encourage the team to back up their ideas with reasoning—it helps uncover insights and ensures decisions are thoughtful. 𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Not every decision can be a group decision. Be clear about how input will be used and who has the final call. 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 Once a decision is made, revisit it as a team. What worked? What could be improved next time? Of course, it’s not always easy. Collaboration takes time, effort, and a willingness to listen (even when opinions clash). But the payoff? A stronger team, better results, and a culture that values every voice. The next time you’re at a crossroads, consider gathering your team around the table, whether it’s a real one or a virtual one. The best ideas often come from the spaces where different voices meet. --- Follow Jeff Gapinski for more content like this. ♻️ Share this to help someone else out with teamwork today #leadership #marketing #teamwork

Listen. To. Every. Voice. In. The. Room. One of the greatest challenges in leadership, collaboration, meetings, and facilitation is making space for quieter voices—those who might otherwise stay in the shadows during a discussion. Yet, if you’re not truly listening to ALL the voices in the room, then why are they there? And how much is it costing you? Over the years, I’ve found a few strategies that help ensure every voice gets a chance to contribute meaningfully: 🌟 Small group discussions. Breaking into smaller groups makes it harder for anyone to stay silent. With fewer people, each voice naturally becomes more essential. 🌟 Visual collaboration tools. Stickies on a physical board, virtual post-its, or other shared workspaces capture the collective. A simple prompt like, “Take 2 minutes to post your ideas for X on the board,” ensures everyone’s input is seen—even if their idea doesn’t ultimately carry the day. 🌟 On virtual calls, keep the chat open. Chat provides a low-pressure way for participants to contribute when inspiration strikes, rather than being limited by the timing of the main discussion. But here’s the catch: No strategy will work if you don’t start with the belief that hearing every voice is valuable. 💡 You have to genuinely believe that ideas you might not like—or hadn’t considered—can lead to better solutions. 🧮 Meeting cost calculators can easily estimate the people hours you're wasting by not maximizing the participation of all attendees. 🧠 Without that mindset, no tool or technique will make a meaningful difference. So, I’ll ask again: If you’re not going to listen to the voices in the room, then why are they there? And what is it costing you? What’s your go-to strategy for ensuring quieter voices are heard in a group setting? #Leadership #Collaboration #Teamwork