As a leader of a team, have you ever wished your team would contribute more of their talents?

That:

• They would proactively make suggestions?
• Capable, quieter members would speak up?
• People would share their thoughts when asked?
• Issues were raised earlier?
• The team would engage with each other and solve problems together?

I can think of several team meetings and offsites where the leader’s encouragement hasn’t helped with these issues. I see leaders say:

• “What are your thoughts?”
• “Do you have any questions?”
• “It’s a safe space. I’d like some honest feedback here.”

And after a bit of silence, perhaps one or two comments, the leader appears disappointed they did not get more.

The same people speak up. Others stay silent. People give updates on their work, but don’t ask questions, nor offer suggestions. Or even worse, they disengage, check their messages.

⁉️ Have you experienced this too? It’s frustrating!

Having seen these situations repeatedly, I can see three interconnected patterns which can impact whether people contribute.

1⃣ The Vibe: The psychosocial environment which impacts whether people feel free or unable to speak up. Everyday actions can signal psychological safety, as well as space for listening, inquiry and thoughtful sharing.

2⃣ The Setup: How meetings are designed. Not just the agenda and content, but also the shared purpose, conversation format and facilitation, and what’s expected of people.

3⃣ The Skills: The quality of how the conversation happens – including the quality of listening, questions, respectful disagreements, collaborative problem solving, noticing unhelpful behaviours and adapting in the conversation.

“The most valuable insights often come from voices that feel hesitant, overlooked, or unsure if they’ll be heard.” Jeff Wetzler

The team’s wisdom is there, but remains buried. Developing individuals helps, but doesn’t guarantee they will share their best.

However, the good news is that you have more in your control than you might think as a leader. There are practical things you can do right now, to shape the context where your team’s wisdom can show up. With each the three patterns above – the vibe, setup, and skills – here are practical things you can do.

1⃣ The Vibe

Check the impact of your everyday actions.

1. Put yourself in the shoes of people who feel less powerful – quiet voices, new starters, those who are different. Ask yourself, “What might make it risky for them to speak up?”
2. Notice what shrinks thinking space – rushed agendas, distractions, emotional reactivity, binary ‘right/wrong’ conversations, the push for quick fixes.
3. Examine your micro behaviours – they signal whether it’s genuinely safe for people to say what they really think.

2⃣ The Setup

Upgrade your meeting and work design.

1. Most meetings are over-controlled (one presenter, many listeners) or under-controlled (open discussion dominated by a few). Design for contribution – such as silent reflection → pairs → small groups → whole group.
2. Question the roles people fall into – the talker, the note taker, the quiet observer. Rotate roles or experiment with perspectives (e.g. De Bono’s hats) so different angles can emerge.
3. Do you even need a meeting? Some work is done better with people contributing in their own time and way.

3⃣ The Skills

Refine interaction skills and behaviours with the team.

1. The quality of listening shapes what people share. A hint of judgement or disinterest, and they’ll say what’s acceptable to say in the group, or nothing.
2. Ask sharp, clear questions instead of vague “Any thoughts?” Vague questions can feel uncertain or risky to many people.
3. Treat disagreement as a way to refine ideas, not a contest to win. Critique the idea, respect the person.

💡 If you’re a leader, the question to ask is not: “How do I get my people to contribute?” but “How do I create a context where their wisdom can surface?”

Written by Megumi Miki, with Anna Reeve and Leigh Gassner, co-founders of Leaders who Listen. We aim to develop leaders who create a listening environment of safety and space within their organisations to enable better decision making, drive growth and innovation, enhance collaboration and inclusion, and manage risk. If you’d like to understand how your leadership team can engage in productive disagreements, contact us about our Leaders who Listen assessment tools, presentations, masterclasses and development programs.