7 steps to having an inclusive meeting

1. Plan with Diversity in Mind

• Encourage diverse team members to contribute to the meeting agenda to ensure varied perspectives are included.
• Provide pre-meeting materials in accessible formats and ensure the meeting location (physical or digital) is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.

2. Establish Inclusive Ground Rules

• Start by introducing oneself with pronouns and encourage others to do the same.
• Use gender-neutral language and discourage jargon to ensure clarity and respect for all attendees.

3. Foster Equitable Participation

• Monitor speaking time to ensure equitable participation, using tools like round-robin speaking or speaking queues if necessary.
• Actively engage quieter participants by inviting their input and ensure dominant voices don’t overshadow others.

4. Promote Respectful Interaction

• Encourage active listening, where participants fully concentrate, understand, and thoughtfully respond to speakers.
• Gently challenge stereotypes or biases if they arise, promoting a respectful and open dialogue.

5. Utilize Inclusive Decision-Making

• Aim for decisions that consider diverse perspectives, potentially using anonymous voting to ensure all voices are heard.
• Be transparent about how decisions are made and ensure the rationale is clear and inclusive of the input received.

6. Provide Accessibility Options

• Offer remote participation options to accommodate those who cannot be physically present due to geographical, health, or other constraints.
• For participants with hearing impairments, provide sign language interpreters or real-time captioning services.

7. Seek Continuous Feedback and Improvement

• Distribute a quick, anonymous survey after the meeting to gather feedback on inclusivity aspects.
• Regularly review meeting practices and feedback to identify and implement improvements for future meetings.