As a trainer and developer I facilitate team and group working sessions. One of my priorities is to make every person attending any learning intervention feel as welcome and included as possible. From service quality and engagement research findings I know this is essential.
I’ve attended many online meetings recently and I’ve been surprised at the lack of either awareness or commitment to inclusion. By inclusion I mean ensuring there is some process of actively involving everyone, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to speak if they wish to, or is invited to speak if they don’t; that there is equality and logic in who speaks.
In designing and delivering learning and development interventions I focus on inclusion because I know it is important to service quality and engagement, and also because it will help rather than hinder learning transfer. If someone has a reason not to learn, they will find it.
In meetings inclusion should be a key objective for many reasons. One key reason is that it will increase the likelihood of everyone’s ideas and knowledge being brought to the table, not just those of the people who speak.
Are you reviewing your meetings? Do you have a process for monitoring their effectiveness? Remember meetings and their negative perception and impact inspired John Cleese to produce many videos on the subject. If you want your meetings to be both effective and credible it is important you identify ways to enable the inclusion and engagement of everyone attending.
© Krista Powell Edwards 2021