How can you include everyone's ideas during team discussions?

1 Set clear goals and norms

Before you start any team discussion, it is important to establish the purpose, expectations, and ground rules for the session. This will help you create a shared vision, avoid misunderstandings, and foster a respectful and supportive atmosphere. You can use a simple agenda to outline the main topics, questions, and outcomes of the discussion, and invite feedback and input from the participants. You can also agree on some basic norms, such as how to take turns, interrupt, disagree, or ask for clarification, and how to handle conflicts or distractions.

3 Use various methods and tools

Depending on the nature and goals of your team discussion, you may want to use different methods and tools to facilitate the exchange of ideas and the generation of solutions. For example, you can use brainstorming, mind mapping, or affinity diagrams to collect and organize ideas from the group, and then use voting, ranking, or dotmocracy to prioritize or select the best ones. You can also use visual aids, such as charts, graphs, or images, to illustrate or explain complex or abstract concepts, or to stimulate imagination and inspiration. You can also use online platforms, such as Zoom, Miro, or Padlet, to enable remote or asynchronous collaboration and communication.

4 Encourage diversity and inclusion

One of the benefits of team discussions is that they can bring together different perspectives, experiences, and skills, and enrich the quality and creativity of the outcomes. However, this also means that you need to be aware of and address the potential barriers and biases that may prevent some people from contributing or feeling valued. As a team facilitator, you can encourage diversity and inclusion by creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone, by inviting and acknowledging diverse viewpoints and contributions, by challenging stereotypes and assumptions, and by promoting equity and fairness.

6 Review and follow up

The last step of any team discussion is to review and follow up on the results and the feedback of the session. This will help you consolidate the learning, celebrate the achievements, and identify the next steps and actions. You can use techniques such as debriefing, feedback, or evaluation to review the outcomes, the process, and the experience of the discussion, and to capture the key insights, lessons, and recommendations. You can also use techniques such as action planning, assigning roles, or setting deadlines to follow up on the implementation, the accountability, and the communication of the discussion.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?