Healthy Organisation

Avoiding Participation in Discussions – TRUST – 4

When people stay silent in discussions, decisions suffer and valuable perspectives remain unheard.

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Where you’ll notice this in a team

This challenge becomes visible when team members are physically present in discussions but mentally absent. Silence replaces dialogue, and only a few voices dominate conversations.

• In meetings: the same people speak, while others remain quiet or disengaged.
• During decision-making: agreement is assumed, but not confirmed.
• In brainstorming sessions: ideas are limited to what feels “safe” to say.
• In cross-functional discussions: people avoid speaking outside their formal role.
• After meetings: concerns are shared privately instead of openly.

As a result, teams miss important insights, risks go unspoken, and decisions are weaker than they need to be.

Why it happens

Avoiding participation is rarely about lack of ideas. More often, it is about perceived risk and past experience.

• Fear of negative reactions: people worry their ideas will be dismissed or criticized.
• Low psychological safety: speaking up feels unsafe.
• Hierarchical culture: “Only senior people should talk.”
• Past experiences: ideas were ignored or used against them.
• Unclear expectations: people are unsure if their input is actually wanted.

Over time, silence becomes a habit, and participation feels optional rather than expected.

How it affects results

When discussions lack broad participation, teams lose both quality and commitment.

• decisions are based on incomplete information,
• risks are identified too late,
• creativity and innovation decline,
• commitment to decisions is weaker,
• engagement drops among quieter team members.

How to reduce and overcome it

Participation improves when teams intentionally design discussions to include everyone, not just the most vocal members.

1. Set clear expectations: make it explicit that everyone’s input is expected.
2. Create psychological safety: respond respectfully to all contributions.
3. Slow the discussion down: give people time to think before speaking.
4. Invite quieter voices: ask open questions and rotate who speaks first.
5. Close the loop: show how input influenced the final decision.

Practical communication tools

These tools help teams create discussions where participation feels normal and safe.

• Round-robin sharing: each participant briefly shares a thought before open discussion.
• Silent writing: individuals write ideas first, then share them with the group.
• Explicit invitations: facilitators directly invite input from quieter members.
• Meeting roles: assign a facilitator to ensure balanced participation.
• Reflection moments: pause discussions to ask “What are we not saying yet?”

Recommended reading and resources

• Google re:Work – Psychological safety in teams
• Harvard Business Review – Psychological safety at work
• MindTools – Encouraging participation in meetings
• Atlassian Team Playbook – Inclusive brainstorming
• McKinsey – Engagement and team effectiveness