Executive Summary and Main Points
Inheriting a team with low engagement and participation during meetings is a challenge that plagues many educational leaders, mirroring broader issues with meeting culture. Sue, a new vice president at a fintech organization, encountered reduced collaboration, decision-making challenges, and weakened team unity due to low meeting participation. While traditional advice centers on setting clear expectations and agendas, fostering a safe, inclusive team culture that acknowledges individual and group dynamics is imperative for improving engagement.
Potential Impact in the Education Sector
Effects similar to those observed at the fintech organization could surface in Further and Higher Education, as well as in institutions offering Micro-credentials. Low participation rates could undermine strategic partnership efforts and digital transformation initiatives reliant on cross-disciplinary collaboration. Addressing these challenges proactively is critical for educational institutions to leverage collective expertise and to foster environments conducive to innovation and quality in the digital age.
Potential Applicability in the Education Sector
The tactics employed by Sue can be adapted to global education systems. Personalized engagement through one-on-ones can be mirrored in academic advising, while reframing group dynamics might be applicable in classroom settings and departmental meetings. Cultivating psychological safety can enhance group work and project-based learning outcomes, particularly when integrating AI and digital tools that demand diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary knowledge.
Criticism and Potential Shortfalls
This approach could face criticism for being overly time-consuming or idealistic, especially in institutions with large class sizes or multiple stakeholders. Implementing such personalized strategies extensively may not be feasible or culturally sensitive in all contexts. For instance, one-on-one engagements may not align with the educational norms in certain cultures, and language barriers could make efforts to foster inclusivity particularly challenging.
Actionable Recommendations
Leaders in international education should prioritize creating psychologically safe environments by training educators in facilitation skills and inclusive practices. Institutions can pilot small-scale initiatives, perhaps within certain departments or programs, and then gradually scale them, measuring impact through participation and engagement metrics. Digital tools like AI can provide analytics and personalized recommendations for engagement. Building strategic partnerships with technology providers could also introduce new platforms for collaboration that suit diverse educational contexts.
Source article: https://hbr.org/2024/05/your-team-members-arent-participating-in-meetings-heres-what-to-do