How to create inclusive meetings

To be inclusive, it doesn’t just mean bringing diversity into your workspace. It means making sure that everybody feels that they belong, irrespective of their background or situation. One of the easiest ways to support inclusivity is through the meetings that we have. These are the spaces where we collaborate, share ideas and make decisions. But, meetings that don’t accommodate an opportunity for everyone to speak are a problem.

In this article, we’ll explain why inclusive meetings matter and how to ensure everyone has a voice. We’ll also show you some easy changes that will make your meetings more inclusive to everyone— from making it more accessible to using tools like Prezi for better communication.

Why inclusivity is important in the workplace

An inclusive workplace is an environment that respects the fact that everyone has an equal right to share their views and contribute. When individuals feel included, they feel comfortable enough to open up and share innovative or creative ideas, and engage with the team. When this happens, it automatically promotes business growth, since varied ideas usually bring forth better solutions.

Inclusive meetings aren’t just about being nice to everyone in the room—it has a direct effect on how well teams can work together and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. With a more inclusive culture, the motivation and productivity of the team are greater.

The issue with exclusive meetings

Meetings are supposed to be a space for everybody to get involved but quite often they become dominated by a few voices. That’s because, without intention, some people can end up doing most of the talking while others say absolutely nothing.

There are a few common reasons why meetings can feel exclusive:

• The same people dominate: Sometimes, one or two people talk, leaving little space for the rest.
  
  
• Unconscious bias: People pay more attention to those who speak from a place of authority or other forms of bias.
  
  
• Accessibility issues: When meetings aren’t set up to be accessible for all, like through captions or other needs, then some members may not be able to fully participate in the meeting.
  
  
• Cultural differences: People communicate differently, and not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in the same way. A meeting that isn’t mindful of this can exclude people without even realizing it.
  
  

So, what happens when meetings aren’t inclusive? Teams miss out on diverse ideas, and individuals feel disconnected, which hurts both morale and the overall outcome of the meeting.

What makes an inclusive meeting?

Creating an inclusive meeting doesn’t require a lot of complicated rules or steps. It just means making small changes so that everyone comes to feel heard and valued. A truly inclusive meeting would look like the following:

Ground rules for inclusive meetings

• Clear communication: Everyone should be able to follow what’s going on. Using simple language and avoiding jargon makes it easier for everyone to understand and participate.
  
  
• Giving everyone a chance to speak: No one set of voices should dominate the conversation. Every participant should be offered an opportunity to speak, especially those who are usually the last to make their voices heard.
  
  
• Respecting different perspectives: An inclusive meeting is one that takes into account the diversity of views and opinions that’re expressed during its course. Even if someone feels something that is far from what others feel, it’s very important for their perspective to be heard and considered.
  
  
• Active listening: Listening is equally as important as speaking. In a successfully inclusive meeting, people should feel that their ideas matter and that they’ve actually been listened to.
  
  

Practical ways to make meetings more inclusive

So, what strategies can you use to make meetings more inclusive? Let’s look at a few simple ways to make sure your meetings give everyone the chance to contribute.

Make meetings accessible

• Subtitles and captions: Captions help keep videos and video conferences inclusive for people with hearing impairments or those who are not native speakers of the language. They allow everyone to understand and follow along.
  
  
• Use different types of visual materials: Different people perceive things differently. Some people prefer reading, some prefer listening. By accommodating imagery, video, infographics, and other forms of visual content, you open up the possibility of other kinds of perception for your material.
  
  
• Assistive technology: In case any of the team members require screen readers or speech-to-text, then ensure them and set up in advance.
  
  

Include everyone socially

• Encourage all viewpoints: Make sure everybody gets a chance to voice their opinion, even if they tend to be more on the quiet or shy side. Specifically, address those individuals who normally refrain from speaking up during meetings.
  
  
• Be mindful of cultural differences: Different people have different ways of expressing themselves. Ensure that everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.
  
  

Encourage a balance of participation

• Set ground rules for participation: Before the meeting starts, set clear expectations that everyone should have the opportunity to speak. This can include guidelines such as “one person speaks at a time” or “everyone shares an idea before we discuss.”
  
  
• Use structured formats: Implement methods like “silent brainstorming” or “round-robin” to give everyone a chance to contribute. These formats prevent more vocal individuals from dominating the conversation and ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak.
  
  
• Limit interruptions: Encourage participants to let others finish their thoughts before responding. This creates a respectful space for everyone to be heard without feeling rushed or cut off.
  
  

Facilitation tips

• Rotate leadership roles: Change up who leads the meetings. This makes for more varied voices and can make the process feel more like a group effort.
  
  
• Ask for feedback: Afterwards, ask your team how they felt during the meeting. Did everybody get a say, and were there times when someone could not pitch in? Use this to improve for next time.
  
  

How Prezi helps make meetings more inclusive

At Prezi, we believe that inclusion should be at the heart of every team collaboration. Our tools are designed to improve communication, making meetings more engaging, accessible, and interactive. Here’s how Prezi supports inclusive meetings:

Diverse visual tools

Prezi supports the use of images, videos, and audio. This variation in multimedia caters to different learning styles that may be present in a room of learners or collaborators. For example, some people learn a concept better from diagrams, whereas others need a textual explanation. With different visual representations, you can reach out to everyone involved—no matter how they process information. Using Prezi’s visual tools is a good way to ensure you conduct an inclusive meeting. 

Prezi Video

With Prezi Video you’re taking inclusive meetings one step further—instead of a slide-by-slide presentation, you can appear on the screen next to what you’re showing visually. This makes a more direct connection with the audience and will make any virtual meeting feel far more interactive and less distant. Even your most physically remote team members will feel included in the conversation as they can see both what’s being presented and the person presenting, making the meeting much more lively and interactive.

Real-time collaboration

This feature creates an environment for inclusive collaboration because every member can easily contribute their idea or feedback while a presentation is being developed. Team members can make live edits and suggest changes, so there’s some level of opportunity for everybody to be a part of the process. This level of collaboration helps to ensure that varied perspectives are shared from the very beginning, making the meeting more representative of the whole team.

Note: This feature is only available to teams with a Prezi Business plan. If you’d like to learn how your team can use Prezi Business, click here.

AI-powered features

Prezi’s AI tools can make your meetings run more smoothly by suggesting layouts, content, and ways to improve engagement. The AI can recommend visual elements that will help communicate your ideas more effectively or provide layout suggestions that improve clarity. This allows the presenter to focus more on the message and less on formatting, saving time and ensuring the presentation is optimized for clarity and impact. For inclusive meetings, AI-powered tools help streamline the process, ensuring that the presentation is visually accessible, clear, and engaging for all team members.

Examples of Prezi in action

To show how Prezi can help support inclusive meetings, here are a few examples of how our tools have been used:

International Women’s Day – March 8

This presentation celebrates International Women’s Day by using engaging visuals and a clear message that resonates with a diverse audience. It’s a great example of how Prezi can make a topic inclusive and accessible.

TED Talks: From inspiration to innovation with Prezi Video

In this Prezi Video, the presenter appears next to the slides, making the presentation feel more personal and engaging. It’s a great way to keep an audience engaged in a virtual setting.

5 signs that your team is suffering from communication issues

This presentation uses clear, simple visuals to explain common communication problems. It’s accessible and easy to follow, making it inclusive for a broad audience.

Why leaders need to get out of their own way

This Prezi presentation encourages reflection and engagement by using a dynamic and interactive format. It’s a great example of how Prezi can help make leadership discussions more inclusive and thought-provoking.

These examples show some ways you could use Prezi tools for creating more inclusive, engaging, and accessible meetings. Whether through dynamic visuals or interactive video, or clear and simple layouts, Prezi helps you get your message across to any audience. Take these examples as inspiration and use similar approaches to enhance your inclusive meetings, with every participant getting an opportunity to be engaged in a meaningful conversation.

If you want to see more Prezi examples, go to the Prezi Gallery and get inspired!

Master inclusive meetings with Prezi

Inclusive meetings are essential for creating the kind of workplace everyone is proud to work in—one where their voice is heard and respected. That’s why knowing how to make meetings more inclusive is a must in every workplace. Start with small steps to improve accessibility and encourage diverse perspectives so everyone has an opportunity to contribute. Prezi features can help further inclusivity by making meetings more interesting and engaging, as well as more accessible. By working to make our meetings more inclusive, we can