Using diversity and expertise appropriately leads to innovative solutions, sound decision making 1 Even before the meeting, take time to understand background, expertise perspectives of participants. 2 Set up inclusive environment where all participants feel comfortable to share their ideas perspectives 3 Assign specific role and responsibilities to participants based on their expertise and interests 4 Provide opportunities for participants to share their expertise and lean from each other during meetings, by performing interactive activities like brain storming, case study group discussions 5 Recognize and value diversity of perspective from different background, industry functions 6 Foster collaboration and teamwork among participants

Efectivamente, antes de tener la reunión, cuando se está organizando una, además de tener claro el objetivo, es decir, qué se desea lograr, además, es necesario tener claro quiénes son las personas que deben participar en la reunión para lograr este objetivo. Y esto requiere entender quién se verá impactado positiva o negativamente con las definiciones que se tomen, quien tiene autoridad para tomar decisiones, quien puede asignar recursos de todo tipo e incluso quien puede dirimir una discusión cuando no se logra llegar a un acuerdo. Tener claro lo anterior, en mi opinión conjuga por una parte, el genuino interés por hacerse cargo de los objetivos de las otras personas, y también, organizar una reunión para que sea altamente efectiva.

If we don’t create a structure for meetings & for diverse voices to thrive, we are wasting the expertise of the team. Too many meetings turn into echo chambers, leaving the real value untapped. Here are a few suggestions to be diversity in practice: - Discuss and set ground rules upfront as a team. Use a tool like a Team Canvas to establish how you'll communicate, give feedback, and hold each other accountable. - Use silence strategically. Give everyone time to think before speaking. - Leverage anonymous polls to surface honest input without fear of judgment. - Feedback is key. Build in a system to openly give/receive feedback during and after meetings. Without a clear structure, we are just managing noise, and not the meeting itself.

Getting to know the participants is not something that should be taken lightly, first it is a show of respect and a demonstration that you care about them, in addition to giving you certain advantages when exposing certain topics where the use of their experience can be beneficial to the group, plus it's a way to keep them involved

Despite best intentions, often meetings are dominated by the most extrovert or loudest person. The main reason that this occurs is that they are not properly facilitated. Try this: 1. Set up the rules upfront e.g. don't talk over others, stick to the agenda, etc. 2. Stick to timings 3. Use the modified Delphi Method i.e. instead of letting anyone speak whenever they wanted – go around the meeting inviting a contribution from each person in turn. This needs to be done, whether it's online or face-to-face. If someone doesn't have anything to add, then they can simply say "pass". At least this way everyone will get an opportunity, particularly the introverts, to contribute.

Definiciones iniciales como: agenda de temas, objetivo de la sesión, el aporte o participación que se espera de cada persona en la reunión (por qué fueron invitados), respeto por el horario de inicio y término, cómo se abordarán y resolverán las objeciones, son algunas de las reglas que, en mi experiencia, muchísimas veces se pasan por alto, es decir, no son comunicadas ni acordadas al inicio de la sesión, por lo tanto, se comienza a conversar o a presentar un tema, sin tener claro si son parte de la agenda ni qué se quiere obtener, tomando más tiempo del agendado y sin lograr nada en concreto. Es crítico que quien lidera la reunión defina reglas básicas antes de empezar, en mi opinión esto es una habilidad que se tiene que desarrollar.

As boring as it sounds, having rules is important. The rules in a society establish necessary limits for good coexistence and communication and also help to avoid conflicts. Establishing rules can ensure the success of a meeting, since from the beginning you make it clear to the participants what you expect of them and the way in which you want communication to flow

This cannot be overstated. Ground rules allow you to impersonally go back to the foundational structure of the meeting. When doing this it is important to make note of the things that fall outside the meeting (parking lot, etc.) and follow up on them, so that people don't feel unheard, but everyone has a common understanding of how and why the meeting will be reined in, and what will happen to things that fall outside the meeting construct.

Las expectativas y reglas son fundamentales para cualquier reunión, su funciones es dar la dirección a las conversaciones y aportes de cada uno de los integrantes, y para ello es fundamental que cada integrante tenga su propio espacio en donde puede dar su opinión al respecto el tema que se esta tratando para así enriquecer la discusión y que sea abordado de la mayor cantidad de aristas posibles.

Having a fun slide in the beginning with Housekeeping Rules always works! Set clear intention and also mention that the purpose of the housekeeping rules is to make sure we are being respectful during the meeting (in general), but more importantly, respectful of everyone's time.

We don't all think or communicate in the same way, experience, age and personality in such a diverse society where not everyone is attracted to the same things or learns in the same way, it's important to be as inclusive as possible and that's where different facilitation techniques play a very important role. Having a variety of facilitation techniques can lead to better results, even before the meeting you can take a small test that helps you identify how your participants learn to prepare you in the best way and use the most appropriate and effective techniques

One thing I find useful is to let people know BEFORE the meeting that you'll be asking for their input, thoughts, challenges, and opinions. This gives people a chance to think things through before vocaling ideas. Of course, some people are happy to contribute on the spot. Hearing from EVERY person in the room is the way to ensure the group is making the best decision.

Breaking out into smaller groups or a shared mind mapping doc allows those that might not be so comfortable with public speaking an opportunity to contribute! Make sure you are aware of the personalities that are in the room and offer different options so no one person ever feels overwhelmed. You never want someone leaving a meeting with a negative mindset.

- 🗣️ Create a safe and supportive environment for sharing opinions, experiences, and suggestions without fear of judgment. - 📊 Use surveys, polls, and reflection questions to collect feedback during and after the meeting. - 🌟 Encourage participants to share their expertise and insights, highlighting diverse perspectives and ideas. - 🔄 Conduct debrief sessions to review what worked well, areas for improvement, and actionable steps. - 🤝 Foster a culture of continuous learning by valuing and incorporating feedback into future meetings.

Al reconocer las contribuciones de los participantes diversos, le estoy dando valor a esa diversidad. Es parte de la seguridad sicológica que bota el miedo a opinar, y va alimentando el deseo de contribuir y abre entonces las puertas a la innovación, la creatividad, etc.