Objectives
1. To help identify ways to increase participation in the team.
2. To provide a structured opportunity for team learning.
Time
45 minutes
Materials Required
Flipchart and pen
Instructions
1. The activity leader writes the following questions on a flip chart before the meeting.
• What sorts of things lead people to under-participate or fail to participate?
• Are we encouraging diversity so that everyone feels they can contribute and offer their views? Are their views respected?
• How do we handle people who are quiet and withdrawn and not contributing to team discussions?
• How do we handle people who are not contributing in an effective manner, e.g. turn up to meetings unprepared, or do not complete the actions that are their responsibility?
• Are we sure we are not marginalising anyone and is everyone included in decision making?
• Do we ourselves always feel able to participate fully, if not, why not?
2. The activity leader asks each team member to think about and make notes on the questions and their own experience of how they have dealt with this problem in the past. Think about a particular person, or various people, who you feel does not participate fully in your team?
3. Then the individuals should pair up with another team member and discuss their experiences and ideas and techniques for dealing with non-participating, and under participating, team members.
4. Finally, the whole team discusses the issue and then offers suggestions and gives any feedback to team members in a constructive manner.
Debrief
1. Review the questions that were asked above.
2. What did the team learn about ideas and techniques for dealing with non-participating team members?
3. Do non-participating team members feel better able to contribute as a result of the session? If not, what else can we as a team do about this? The activity leader needs to make sure that staff are not singled out as non-participating unless they wish to offer reasons why this is the case. Ensure the feedback is given in a constructive manner. Remember also that level of participation is a diversity characteristic. In every team a variety of participation levels is not bad and indeed is highly likely. Over participation can be a negative trait in some circumstances. Non- participation does not mean a lack of interest. What we want in a team is effective participation. Quality rather than quantity is important and sometimes the non-participants have excellent ideas that we miss and cannot capitalise upon.
4. How can we put these ideas and techniques into practice in the team in the future?