How do you create a safe space in an online meeting?

This post is written by Graham Sharpe, a public servant in Western Australia.

• The problem: Online meetings are becoming more prevalent.
• Why it matters: We need them to be effective in developing trust, leveraging talent and building culture.
• The solution: Meetings are not just a chance to meet; they are a chance to lead.

Recent productivity reports suggest a dramatic increase in online meetings, with some staff having close to an average of nearly 40 meetings per week, a trend that is unlikely to reverse.

Our colleagues in information technology services have done an outstanding job in providing us with the tools to connect better than ever. So, how do we then create a safe space for the online meeting? Simply put, people often consider meetings only in terms of the agenda topics and perhaps collaboration. Meetings are a leadership opportunity.

Making meetings better

Effective meetings keep teams aligned, help improve psychological safety, enable collective sharing of information and aid decision-making. So, how do we ensure an online meeting is a safe space and promotes trust?

Firstly, consider the Pareto Principle; having a safe space is 80% planning and 20% doing. You are responsible if your name is on the calendar invite as the host. Not only for the meeting but the pre-meeting actions, during and after-meeting activities. Even if you are not the most senior person in the meeting, you are the meeting leader.

Pre-meeting, consider:

• Is the meeting necessary or even appropriate?
• How long does the meeting need to be?
• Who needs to attend?
• Who is taking notes?
• Has the agenda been prepared and distributed with enough notice?
• Does everyone know the purpose of the meeting so they can adequately prepare?
• Have you encouraged people to log in two minutes before the meeting to identify technical problems?
• Will you be recording the meeting? Has this been highlighted in advance?
• Do you have a ‘muting’ policy?
• Have you informed attendees about their background and how to change and check it pre-meeting?
• How will we ensure follow-through post-meeting?

During the meeting:

• Make sure you go around the virtual room and encourage introductions.
• Identify housekeeping, such as how to ask questions.
• For new teams, consider speaking on topics early rather than often. This should anchor the conversation and set the tone for the discussion.
• For established and high-performing teams, be the last to speak or be the chief encouragement officer for good ideas and intelligent risk-taking.
• Listen to understand. Invite people to openly state or restate their positions and role model, being open to new ideas and ways of looking at problems.
• Ensure topics discussed focus on all attendees. Having side issues or tangents that exclude group members reduces contribution and trust.

If you are the first to speak, state the problem, ask questions out of curiosity rather than bias and listen to understand.

Learning from tribal meetings

Nelson Mandela is famously quoted as saying, “When I was a boy, I remember going to tribal meetings with my father, and I remember that they always sat in a circle and my father was always the last to speak.”

Even with the best intentions, meeting leaders, by speaking first, can signal to those in the meeting that their opinion doesn’t matter. But leaders don’t always have the luxury of speaking last. If you are the first to speak, state the problem, ask questions out of curiosity rather than bias and listen to understand. In doing so, you will build trust and a high-performing team and may be surprised by the innovative solutions offered.

Whether speaking first or last, refrain from dominating the conversation. Listening gives you a leadership opportunity. This includes the chance to read the virtual room; see who is engaged or disengaged. Ensuring one individual doesn't dominate the discussion and considering if there is diversity in thinking or groupthink that needs to be challenged.

To close the meeting:

• I recently experienced one of the most influential meeting closures. The meeting leader had an agenda topic, "meeting finalisation". They outlined the next meeting date but then went a little further. They summarised the critical action items, who was assigned and the due date. They then opened the conversation on the meeting's effectiveness. Questions included:
• Did I provide the agenda with enough time to prepare?
• What worked?
• What could be done differently to make the meeting more effective?

Suggestions, concerns and feedback were documented. Two days after the meeting, the meeting leader called to provide feedback on my contribution to the meeting. Primarily as chief encouragement officer, but also with suggestions to improve my contribution at the next meeting. I felt valued and encouraged, and they provided direction to improve my performance. I felt inspired for the next online meeting.

Online meetings are an opportunity to collaborate and use talent in an organisation. The meeting leader is responsible even if they aren't the most senior person in the meeting. It is more than a collaboration opportunity. It's a leadership opportunity.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)