What would happen in your meetings if - as with political debates - there was a record of how much time each participant spoke? Would you discover that most of your meetings are dominated by just a few voices? According to several studies, a key indicator of team performance and collective intelligence is based on how equally all voices are heard in a meeting.

Surgeon Atul Gawande, author of The Checklist Manifesto, explored this idea within surgical teams. When all team participants voiced their names to each other before surgery, Gawande found there was an increased willingness by teammates to speak up during a procedure, leading to a whopping 35% decrease in the average number of complications and deaths. Gawande attributes the improved results in part to an “activation phenomenon”: When teammates participate early on in a meeting, they feel a greater responsibility and comfort speaking up later.

Here are 5 things you can do to help ensure everyone has more of a voice:  

1. Raise awareness. If everyone understands the importance of allowing space for everyone, it will help encourage the "over-talkers" to rein themselves in, while the "under-talkers" (not to be confused with undertakers) might feel emboldened to speak up more often.

2. Open with a fun meeting icebreaker. Fun openers that require everyone to participate will trigger the "activation phenomenon" mentioned above by creating a psychologically safe place for people to participate. (Head on over to Inspiring Remote Teams for some ideas.)

3. Don't assume silence is consent. When making a decision, take the time to go person-by-person around the table and ask everyone individually to voice their approval or concerns. 

4. Wave the flag. Or hold up a green object. Or use the Vulcan "live long and prosper" symbol. Create a fun system for participants to use when they want to interject safely into the conversation. 

5. Break into pods. Once a meeting has more than 6 people, some participants are less inclined to speak, so hiving off into pods of 2-3 people for discussions can ensure more voices are heard.