Wait... and wait a bit more...

You know the scenario - it's a team meeting and you're wanting to hear contributions or input, or it's time to hear if people have questions.

If you're not getting the engagement you want, it will likely be because of two things:

1. You asked a closed question

2. You didn't wait.

Even when engagement isn't that great in a meeting or workshop, the right questions will still elicit contributions.

Recently at a conference, the leader asked the team :

Does anyone have any questions?

It's SO easy to answer that with question a 'no' ... so we can just keep moving and get the hell outta the dull meeting!

If you're the leader, rather ask a question like:

So what thoughts are coming to mind?

What are you wondering about?

What questions are coming to mind?

These are open questions; simple, broad, open questions. It's amazing the difference they make. They allow people to just throw something out there. Their thoughts, their wonderings, the questions they may not normally ask.

Then once you've asked the question... wait.

Just wait.

The leader who asked 'Does anyone have any questions?' waited four seconds. I counted them. It can seem like an eternity when you're the asker, but when people are thinking about their thinking and possible questions, four seconds isn't enough.

Wait more.

And more.

And when you think you've waited too long...

...wait some more.

Some of the BEST questions will come when people are simply given some time to come up with the questions and contributions.

While you're waiting, keep looking at people, looking around the room or table at them; keep an open expression, be interested to hear what they say. Stay ready to hear what they have to say. Wait.

It reminds me of outback Australian stockmen who work their herds of cattle across the land. They rely so much on their trusty four-legged co-worker, the sheep or cattle dog.

'W-a-a-a-i-i-i-i-t-t-t-t' they say, telling the dog to just hold it before they round up more cattle.

Think of that before you jump in after some open questions... just w-w-w-w-a-a-a--i-i-i--t-t-t-t-.

How involved do you want people to be?

When you next need to get input or contributions from people, or you need to consult with a team on something, think first: how involved do you want people to be? 

This really is the question - just how deeply involved?

It can get messy if you think one thing and they think another. 

This quick video outlines a depth of involvement and participation. Go on, get into it. 

 For further information, read up on the IAP2 process here

How to engage people in change & transformation

How to engage people in change & transformation from Lynne Cazaly on Vimeo.

When change is on the agenda - and it so often is in today's workplaces - be sure you've got engaging tools to help people buy into the change and transformation that's coming. 

Avoid ambiguity and complication. Hey, you might love working down in the detail because you're involved in the piece of work, but that doesn't mean others across the organisation are that 'into' you or the change!

Check out this week's sketch video to move beyond a 'pack' of information!

Keep the energy up *clap clap*

Talented chef and restaurateur Neil Perry has a number of fine eateries in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia. And if you've flown on Qantas you will have tasted some of the great food that the team he advises has created for cruising altitude. 

Have you truly seen him at work? Yes, he's been on TV plenty of times and he's been interviewed and shared his recipes ... but have you seen him work?

He does work! And I love his style. 

In the kitchen at the Melbourne Rockpool restaurant (exposed to diners in that modern, transparent, 'look-at-what-we're-creating-for-you' style that is a big part of restaurants today) I've seen him leading his team on several occasions. 

He's not a loud, shouting and cranky chef as many of the stereotypes have us think. 

But he does make some noise. 

*clap clap*

Yep, he delivers a double clap to create and sustain some energy, pace and delivery among the team. It's probably his way of saying 'now come on, step it up, let's get that dish to the servery', 'where are those oysters' and 'what's happening with that Waygu?'

*clap clap*

It's a tool I've adopted in my own office to motivate the team that is me. It keeps the energy up. It can celebrate when a task or project is completed and it also tunes the ears into thinking, sounds and what's going on.

Too often people can drift off into their internal worlds when you'd prefer them to be focusing on the here and now.

I'm not suggesting you go around and clap in the face of people who aren't participating in a dull meeting, or who are quieter contributors in a workshop. No... just remember that you are able to shift and change the energy in an environment. And if that's an environment you're responsible for creating, then there are times when you will need to do something.

*clap clap* is Neil Perry's way of keeping the energy up, keeping the team focused.

What can you do to inject energy, maintain focus and creating stimulating environments for your team?

It's alive! Is it human?

In a planning meeting with a client recently there was lots of talk about 'who'.

Who the audience was. Who the workshop was for. Who would be there. Who needed to be consulted with.
I think that we can too often and too quickly group people into .... well, groups, that we can forget they are people. You know, humans! Alive! You. Me. Us. 

When I'm leading a workshop, facilitating a team day or delivering my training programs, as soon as there is talk about stakeholders, clients, customers or teams, one of the tools I use as quickly as possible is a visual that helps humanise the conversation. 

I'm helping us see that the groups we're talking about are actually people and not things. (This icon is a 'click and save' image for you this issue for your visual collection.)

It's easy to sketch - look at each of the elements: a 'hill' shape for the body, a circle, two lines for the arms and then the key word for that person, like 'stakeholder'. They're holding their own little sign! A smiley face adds another human element.

A simple thing? Symbolic? Sure, but time and again I've worked with leaders who are driving change, teams who are shifting the way they work and businesses transforming culture and it's always about what people will be doing now and in the future.

We can more easily identify and connect with the human aspects of change when visuals of people are used. 

Keep an eye out for how you're representing the important people you work with, collaborate with and want to engage with.

Remember they're people ... and not just a bullet point list of words.