A common question we hear from folks preparing for a “big” meeting is, “How do I handle the person who always dominates the conversation?” There are several strategies you can use to make sure the dominant voice is productive, and doesn’t prevent other voices from being heard, derail your meeting flow, or interfere with your goals. Here are three…

 1. Master Your Opening

The first 3-5 minutes of your meeting are the most important. You should:

• Frame the conversation

• Establish the objectives of your meeting

• Bound the time you will spend on each agenda item

• Outline what is NOT on the table for discussion

 A good opening establishes a framework for your conversation that signals to the group what is in and out of scope for the meeting.

 2. Set ground rules

Often ground rules can feel elementary and unnecessary, but they are a useful tool when there’s a disruptor in your midst. It’s much easier to reference ground rules that have been established BEFORE disruptive behavior presents itself than try to set them after the fact; ahead of time, it reads as community-oriented and positive. After the fact, it reads as a personal attack, and punitive. Here are a few ground rules particularly useful in managing the “loud voices” in the room. 

• Contribute and stick to the meeting agenda

• Challenge the problem, not the person

• Think before speaking

• Listen to others and don’t interrupt (unless we’re off track)

• “Bottom line” your idea: You have 2-3 sentences to state your opinion clearly and then let someone else speak.

Ground rules are flexible, so come up with your own, or modify the ones above. If the term “ground rule” is too icky, give them a different name, like “positive behaviors” or “guidelines” or “group promises.” As you use your ground rules over time, they may even get an internal shorthand or nickname that becomes part of the culture of your team.

 3. Paper, sharpies, and other materials are your friends

A good meeting includes activities designed to organically involve everyone equitably, and some of the greatest democratizers of ideas are simple tools like pens, paper, stickers, and checkmarks. Here are a few examples of how you might put them into practice:

• Brainstorming: Instead of having people share ideas verbally to a single scribe responsible for capturing them, have people work alone or in pairs for 2-3 minutes to generate ideas onto sticky notes (one idea per note). Then throw all the sticky notes up on a wall and review the entire set as a group. Now everyone has contributed thoughts, the ideas are not connected to the person who came up with them, and some ideas may even show up multiple times highlighting how relevant they are.

• Multiple Ideas to Evaluate: Instead of working through each idea in sequence, place each idea on flip charts around the room. Break the group into pairs or triads, and assign each group a different idea to focus on. Give the groups a few minutes, and then have them rotate to a new station to build upon the thoughts of the previous group. Now everyone has contributed to a few (or all) of the ideas, and no single voice dominated the conversation. 

• Prioritizing ideas: Rather than debating the pros and cons and trying to come to a verbal consensus, have your participants “vote” on the ideas they think are best by writing check marks or placing dot stickers on the ideas they like. You’ll be surprised how much conversation you can simply cut out of the meeting because you’ll know immediately where alignment is already in place, and which specific areas will benefit from focused discussion. 

Leading a meeting can be overwhelming, especially when it’s your project on the line. Don’t let the dominant voice derail you and lead with confidence.

What are some additional ways you manage the dominant voice?