Too Little and Too Much Participation
Problem situations in a meeting may have something to do with the level of participation of individual members: when they participate too much or too little in the meeting.
Too much participation: Other members may not be able to fully participate in meeting activities when an individual member is too vocal.
Over-participation may occur for a number of reasons, including:
- strong interest in the topic
- naturally enthusiastic and talkative
- strong desire to control outcomes (not a "team player")
Too little participation: When a safety committee member does not participate in meeting activities, their valuable input may be lost. The chairperson may not be able to accurately assess the degree of consensus that's taking place when members are silent.
Lack of participation may occur for several reasons, including:
- lack of confidence
- nervous about expressing ideas in front of others
- no interest in the topic
- may want the meeting to get over more quickly
- belief that their input doesn't matter
One theme throughout all OSHAcademy courses is that, "for every effect, there is a cause." Each of these reasons for over- or under-participation above represent an effect which has a cause. It's important for the safety committee chairperson to determine the cause for these behaviors. Only after knowing the cause, can the solution be found. A personal talk with the committee member can help find the cause.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-4. What is the most likely reason a safety committee member may participate too much during a meeting?
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