Facilitate. Don’t Opinionate.

Do you have trouble contributing in meetings? Do you watch helplessly as participants talk over each other and aggressively state their opinions? You want to get in and demonstrate leadership, but you’re not sure how. One powerful – and little used – option: Contribute comments on meeting flow and participant interactions.

Here are some examples of what you can say:
“Let’s make sure we’re all trying to solve the same problem before moving to solutions.”
“Let me summarize our agreements to see if we’re all on the same page.”
“John, you look confused.”
“Mary, you haven’t said much, and I know you care a lot about this topic.”
“Seems like we’re all restless and need a break.”

As a meeting participant, you’re not always a content expert, but you can move the group forward productively if you ask questions, like the ones above. 

Focusing on facilitation takes practice, so try it in your next meeting. If you get rebuffed or ignored keep on trying! You’ll be doing all the meeting participants a big favor in addition to practicing a valuable skill.

Co-authored with Linda Keegan, lindakeeganconsulting@gmail.com