Have you ever felt like you’re playing catch-up in a meeting before it even begins?
The truth is, for many working in tech, the challenge of being heard starts long before we step into the meeting room. Meetings are where decisions are made, ideas are shared, and progress is charted. Yet, these very spaces can feel like a battleground. It’s a common challenge, but one we can overcome with a bit of conscious effort and a shift in our approach.
The underrepresentation of women’s voices in tech starts well before we even step into the meeting room. Long-standing societal narratives, like a lack of early encouragement, and educational environments that are not always supportive mean fewer women choose careers in STEM. This creates a workplace where women are already navigating a space where they are underrepresented. To truly address this, we must work on both ends: invest in programmes that expand access to STEM from an early age and build meeting cultures that welcome diverse voices.
Virtual meetings, while offering some equalising elements like uniform screen space, have introduced new challenges. The subtle visual cues we rely on to interject respectfully, like a slight lean forward or a change in facial expression, are often lost. As studies have shown, women tend to interrupt less frequently, if they wait for conversational pauses that never come, they can be inadvertently sidelined.
So, how can we ensure our voices, and those of others, are not only heard but truly valued?
Create space for all
Leaders and peers play a vital role. Redirecting credit by saying, “As mentioned earlier…”, asking clarifying questions, and pausing before moving on too quickly can all help. Setting norms, such as not interrupting and calling on more people to weigh in, can also shift the dynamic. Everyone can be more mindful of their own speaking time and actively invite others into the conversation. Practising active listening and being open to different perspectives also helps create a more inclusive environment.
Leverage asynchronous communication
In today’s product and engineering settings, using asynchronous communication and documentation is vital. This is not just a formality but a fundamental way to keep everyone aligned and ensure all contributions are captured. Using pre-reads, gathering comments and reactions through shared documents can help get everyone on the same page and allow for more fruitful discussions when meeting synchronously.
By intentionally weaving asynchronous communication and documentation into our workflow, we widen the net for contributions, allowing everyone to contribute their best ideas, even if they are not comfortable speaking up in the moment.
The goal is to re-engineer our meeting culture for deeper collaboration where every voice is not just present, but contributes to a collective understanding. By intentionally implementing these types of strategies, we can better realize the potential of our diverse teams.
