The Meeting Pie: Slicing Up Speaking Time Fairly
- Difficult Conversations
- Feedback
- Influencing
- Insights
- Listening
Powerpoint Downloads
Tool – Share of Meeting Pie – Powerpoint
Ever sat in a meeting where one or two voices dominate, while others barely get a word in? It’s a common challenge, but one that can be tackled with a simple mindset shift: think of your meeting like a pie.
Each person should get an equal slice of time to speak. In a five-person meeting, that’s 20% per person. In an eight-person meeting, it’s 12.5%. Of course, real conversations aren’t that rigid, but the idea is to ensure that everyone has space to contribute.
Why This Matters
A well-balanced discussion isn’t just about fairness—it leads to better decisions, greater engagement, and a stronger sense of team collaboration. But achieving this requires self-awareness:
- If you’re a strong contributor, that’s great! But are you also a strong listener? Making space for others is just as important as sharing your ideas.
- If you tend to stay quiet, your perspective is valuable. Challenge yourself to step up and take your fair share of the space.
A Simple Tool to Help
If you run meetings and want to be more intentional about creating balance, we’ve got you covered. We’ve created a free slide that you can use at the start of your meetings to set the tone, plus some additional facilitation tips to help encourage equal participation.
Download it now and start making your meetings more inclusive.