Silencing the the dominating voice

How to Encourage Collaborative Decision-Making in Teams and Prevent the Loudest Voice from Dominating discussions.

Yamini Hundare
3 min readDec 3, 2023

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In a team environment, it is not uncommon for individuals to follow the loudest person in the room, whether it’s due to their seniority, confidence, or force of personality. Unfortunately, this can result in the exclusion of valuable perspectives and ideas, as well as an unhealthy dynamic within the team. In this article, we will discuss strategies for avoiding this dynamic and ensuring that all team members have an equal voice. Promoting equal opportunities and encouraging collaborative environment, where individual feel safe to voice their opinions.

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  1. Encourage Active Listening — Active listening is a critical skill for effective communication and decision-making. Encourage team members to listen attentively to one another and to consider all perspectives before making a decision. When people feel heard, they’re more likely to participate actively in discussions and to share their ideas.
  2. Structured Speaking — Designate specific time slots for each participant to express their opinions. This ensures equal opportunity for everyone. Use a timer to enforce the allocated speaking time for each individual, making it clear when their turn begins and…

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Yamini Hundare

I am an aspiring writer who loves to write about agile mindset, my own experiences and children's stories. I am a published author.