By Tom Davidson
Here’s my sixth installment on An Introvert’s Guide to Groups, this one about acknowledging all members of the team.
One of my favorite rules for facilitating teams is, “Don’t just do something, stand there!” An obvious reversal of an old saying, the truth in this principles lies in the fact that the quieter members of groups often keep their good ideas to themselves, waiting for just the right moment – just enough of a pause in the action – to say them out loud. Without enough silence that is often filled by extraverts, introverts tend to stay clammed up.
Here’s my sixth installment on An Introvert’s Guide to Groups, this one about acknowledging all members of the team.
Principle #6 – An Introvert’s Guide to Groups
Ensure that all participants are heard from and acknowledged to a relatively equal degree. As new managers ascend in their organizations, they will find that they are dealing with stronger and firmer personalities. Yet the value of teams comes from the perspectives at the table, and quieter members often have valuable information that needs to be invited forth.
As a team leader, your responsibility goes beyond your own contributions, which can be difficult enough to make. You also have a tacit responsibility for calling forth the contributions of quieter team members. To make sure all parties are heard from, here are three suggestions:
1. Ask a question and have everyone right down their ideas before they speak them out loud. This gives everyone, including the introverts, time to get their thoughts together in an orderly way by providing enough quiet times for the introverts to think things through.
2. Call on the quieter members of the group without embarrassing them or putting them on the spot. Here are some ways to do that:
– We haven’t heard much from Samantha in a while. What are you thinking at this point?
– Jose, you’ve been trying to get into the conversation for a while now. What’s on your mind?
– We have a ground rule about hearing from everyone, so let’s go around the table and give everyone a chance to speak up on this.
3. Reinforce the contributions of quieter members so they will be encouraged to continue putting in their “two cents worth.” You can compliment them, thank them or echo their remarks so they feel heard and appreciated.