How can I make my meetings more inclusive to those who think, learn, and process information in different ways, reducing auditory and social stressors?
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Here’s how:
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Attach the agenda within the meeting invite.
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State at the top of the meeting expectations around participation and use of platform functions, e.g. ‘hand raise’, chat boxes, mute, and breakout rooms.
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Where possible, do not make ‘cameras on’ mandatory (though you should state a preference). Try asking for everyone to have cameras on for initial face-to-face introductions, and then allow participants to turn them off if they are more comfortable.
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Provide closed-captioning and meeting record where possible.
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Offer assistive technologies, such as transcriber apps like Otter.ai or Zapier, which can help with individuals struggling to listen to long blocks of info, or AI solutions for auto-generated meeting summaries (such as available on Zoom or Fireflies.ai)
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Avoid impromptu meetings where possible – they can disrupt flow or routine, and cause anxiety or catastrophising. If it is not, clearly identify with written communication the purpose of the last minute arrangement.
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Allow use of chat functions for written input from participants intimidated or struggling with verbal communication.
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When demonstrating new software, tasks, or technology, recordings can help individuals process information at their own pace.
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Consider meeting fatigue. In person-meetings usually consider commute/travel time in-between, and structured breaks. In our increasingly remote workspaces, virtual meetings are often scheduled back to back. Avoid this where possible to allow people time to decompress, have a screen/movement break, process information from the previous meeting, and to sufficiently prepare for the next.
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