I manage a relatively smaller team within the start-up I co-founded. We do a lot of different things from UX to Marketing. Given that we're all remote, we meet once a week on certain projects. Recently I've noticed so many moments of silence in our meetings. Any tips or tricks to combat this? The silence is killing me lol
BrianaBrownell·Sep 23, 2021BrianaBrownell·Sep 23, 2021Who is leading the meeting? The person leading the meeting should be able to direct the flow of conversation. If there are lots of lulls in the meetings then maybe they are too long? Or the people in the meeting aren't clear on what the meeting is for and what they need to contribute?
Hi Taylor, Nice to meet you on here. Briana brings up some great questions. I would also add that you always want an agenda for meetings so you can make decisions or discuss important topics, unless you are brainstorming and it's a meeting meant for longer discussions. Perhaps have a guide to help you direct/lead the meeting. Determine the reason for the meeting and create short agendas for each one. That will give you guidance on whether the meeting is needed and useful.
It might be worth investigating the *quality* of the silence. Is it bothering anyone else?I'm a people-person, chatty, and like to feel conversations (and meetings) flow. I think I know what you mean when you say the silence is killing you :) Talking, for me, is about connection.But there are a lot of people, especially in STEM jobs, who think of speech in terms of communication, not connection. They don't mind silence, and prefer it to small talk. My partner, and most of my workmates, are in this camp.If you're in a group of mostly these people, it might be that the silence isn't a problem, and the solution could be for you to get more comfortable with it.If everyone else is OK, but you still want to build connection, starting or ending meetings with some sort of non-work talk might help. A question like, what's the most interesting thing you've learned this week (work or non work)? Beware though, if you really do have a whole team of introverts you'll need buy-in, or this will just make them more uncomfortable.
Love this insight, especially the part around considering what silences mean for different people!
Having an agenda is always super helpful! I usually try to have an agenda (especially for remote meetings) and end meetings early if we cover all the items!
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