Silence in meetings often stems from learned responses to past negative experiences, not apathy.

Pitching ideas first to a trusted colleague reduces risk and builds confidence for group sharing.

Building on others’ ideas is a low-risk way to re-enter conversations and encourage participation.

I remember it like it was yesterday. That big meeting where the client flew in from outside the country to our office to hear a presentation. It was amazing. Catering. Exotic coffee. Presentation slides that were worked on for weeks. The client viewed the material and had a few questions. I knew the answer. So I piped up. It was my moment. The moment that would change everything.

The agency director stepped all over my answer, minimized it, and moved on. The thing is, I didn't decide to stop contributing. I learned to. One bad experience is enough. Many bad experiences like that? Over time? Yep. People stop contributing. The brain is efficient1, it files "that hurt, don't repeat it," and avoids it like the plague.

The silence you see in your meetings? That silence isn't apathy. It's memory.

So how do we break through and regain the ability for people to be reenergized to bring new ideas to work? How do we break through the learned silence? Here are three ideas to get everyone participating.

Not every big idea has big origins. Sometimes it's OK to have a small idea blossom into a larger idea later. Starting small enables you to test-drive your idea in a lower-risk environment. So I recommend that people try their ideas with one trusted person first. Start small.

When people have ideas they'd like to........

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