Meetings are the bedrock of collaboration but can also be a breeding ground for exclusion.

We've all been there. In a meeting that drags on, dominated by a few voices and, you wonder if anyone actually heard your idea. And for people with special abilities, encountering barriers to information is a too common occurrence.

As an organiser, it's your responsibility and moral duty to remove those barriers so your meetings are not only accessible but also warm for everyone.

Think of your favourite brands. They don't just sell products; they create experiences everyone can relate to. 

Your meetings and events should be designed to engage and include everyone. Every detail, from the agenda to the seating plan, is key to ensuring no one feels left out. But how do you do that? 

It starts with intentionality. 

From meeting structures to communication styles, everything matters. With a few simple steps, you can turn your meetings into inclusive machines. Continue reading this inclusive meeting guide to get started 

What is an Inclusive Meeting?

An inclusive meeting is where people from different backgrounds, such as gender, race, religion, ability, social class, etc., attend and participate equally in a comfortable and respectful space.

To make that happen, you must have an inclusive mindset. That means being open to different perspectives and actively creating a space for all attendees. It also means examining your biases and assumptions to make the meeting inviting for everyone.

How to Make Meetings More Inclusive?

The work you do before a meeting sets the tone for inclusivity. Here are some tips so everyone on your team feels welcome and valued: 

Invite Strategically

While unnecessary meetings can be a productivity killer, excluding someone who could benefit can be demotivating. Here's a solution: 

1. Two-Tier Invites: Identify those essential for decision-making (must haves) and those who might benefit but aren't critical (nice to have). Invite both and mark the latter as optional. This allows them to choose without feeling left out.

2. Open to Declines: Encourage open communication by letting everyone know it's okay to decline if the meeting doesn't align with their priorities. 

Write Compelling Invites

Send invites well in advance so people can schedule around them. Include the purpose of the meeting in the invite description. Make your invites remote-friendly by including video conferencing links and use tools to collect pre-meeting inputs like questions or ideas so introverted or remote team members can equally participate. 

Get Input Upfront

Get your team involved in the agenda. Anonymously collect questions, ideas, and topics beforehand. You can do that by brainstorming ideas by sending polls and surveys.  

Send anonymous polls before the meeting to collect ideas from everyone to prevent the loudest voices from dominating the conversation. Similarly, share surveys beforehand to identify the key issues and tailor the agenda for a valuable discussion. 

Facilitate, Don't Dictate

Assign a facilitator to the meeting. This person, ideally a dedicated team member, is the moderator who has to make sure the flow is smooth, people are participating, and the environment is inclusive.  

Facilitators are critical in hybrid meetings to ensure remote team members feel heard and involved. They keep the discussion balanced, intervenes politely if someone is dominating, and gives everyone a chance to contribute. 

Ground Rules

A shared set of rules promotes respectful and inclusive behaviour for everyone. These can be adapted to the meeting size, format, and purpose. Here are some general rules to consider: 

1. Time Limits: Set time limits for individual contributions to keep presentations focused.

2. Remote-First: Give priority to remote participants by having a "remote-first" rule where online colleagues go first.

3. Tech Etiquette: Explain how the tech works. Briefly explain microphone usage, "Raise hand" features in video conferencing, etc.

4. Inclusive Visuals: Encourage speakers to face the camera during discussions to make it better for remote attendees.

5. Minimise Distractions: Don't have side conversations if there are remote participants as they might feel left out. 

Encourage Participation

The physical setup and tech can make participants feel included:

1. Seating and Audio/Video: In a physical location, ensure everyone has a good seat with clear audio and visibility. Larger meetings might need microphones and speakers for good sound quality.

2. Visibility for Hybrid Meetings: Project the video conference on a big screen so everyone in the physical location can see remote colleagues. Invest in external speakers for good audio. Consider having two screens: one for presentations and one to display remote participants.

3. Remote-Friendly Activities: Adapt activities to include remote attendees. Use online whiteboards instead of physical ones and encourage idea submission through tools or sticky notes.   

Icebreakers and Polls

Start with a thought-provoking question via a poll. This way everyone gets to contribute. Polls work for all personalities (introverted and extroverted) and locations (working from home, office, etc.). 

For example, if you're syncing up on a project, start with: "How confident are you we'll meet the deadline?" A simple rating poll allows everyone to chime in. 

Show the poll results and use them to start a discussion. You can follow up with: "Some of you are unsure. Why? Can anyone elaborate?" Or call on specific people or remote colleagues to weigh in. 

Democratise with Technology

Don't let the same few voices dominate the conversation. Use meeting technology to enable everyone to participate. 

When a decision is needed, present options with multiple-choice or ranking polls. This way, everyone can vote on what to do, and it's a democratic and transparent decision-making process. Polls also save time by showing team sentiment quickly so you can move on to the discussion.

You can do this in many scenarios, such as after proposing a new strategy, design concept, or project vision.

Get Quiet Participants to Speak

1. Targeted Invitations: Ask quiet people directly for their input during the discussion.

2. Thinking Time: Leave silence after asking a question. This gives shy team members time to think.

3. Nonverbal Cues: Watch for people unmuting themselves or raising their hands. Look at video conference tiles for subtle cues that someone wants to talk.

4. Interrupt Gently: If someone is dominating the conversation, interrupt politely. For example, "Thank you for that, [name]. Anyone else have thoughts to share?"

5. Technology Training: Make sure everyone knows how to use Q&A and polling tools to participate fully. 

Get Feedback

Inclusive meetings where everyone feels like they can participate don't happen overnight. A feedback survey is a valuable tool for improvement. Listen actively and ask your team how they feel about the meetings, what they like, and what they'd like to see changed. 

Use star ratings with open text comments for more detailed feedback from attendees. Don't be afraid to ask about inclusivity during meetings to understand how empowered attendees feel to speak up.  

Here are some sample questions:

1. How was this meeting for you? (Rating)

2. Any suggestions or comments to improve these meetings? (Open text)

3. What would you like to see more/less of in these meetings? (Open text)

4. On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable do you feel speaking up during meetings? (Rating) 

Record Meeting and Assign Note-taking

If your meeting is via video conference (fully remote or hybrid), record it for team members in different time zones or who can't attend. Share the meeting minutes and recording so everyone, including those who couldn't attend, is in the know. Also, assign someone to take meeting notes so everyone knows the key points and next steps discussed.

If you gathered input beforehand, colleagues who missed the meeting but submitted questions or ideas beforehand can see their input included in the discussion when they watch the recording later. 

Keep It Organised for Easy Referencing 

One of the simplest yet most powerful inclusivity measures is to keep information easily accessible. Don't let meeting minutes and important documents get lost in the never-ending scroll of your internal comms channels like Slack, Webex, or Teams. Create a tidy team folder with all the documents and resources. This will make everyone feel aligned and equal, regardless of their role or location. 

Use project management tools like Notion or Asana to create a team "folder" with all the links and documents. Establish a consistent way of organising these resources—by weeks, months, meeting types, etc. Appoint someone to be the guardian of this space and keep all the important documents and resources in subfolders.

Final Thoughts

Accessibility matters; consider it from the get-go. Thoughtful communication and proactive inclusion of accessibility information are key to normalising diversity and inclusion. Include these inclusive meetings best practices to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued and has a better experience.