Are you tired of asking your team for input in meetings and all you get is crickets?

Or maybe you only hear from that one person who always speaks up?

If your team often responds to your requests for feedback with silence, there’s a good chance some folks simply don’t feel comfortable speaking up in front of a group.

Let’s fix that.

Here are five ways to spark real participation and more helpful feedback using check in questions for team meetings.

1. Prep them ahead of time

Let your team know in advance what topic you’ll be covering and that you’ll be asking for each person’s input. That way, they’re not put on the spot.

Then during the meeting, use a round robin approach—go around the room and give each person the floor. Capture their ideas in a visible format, like a shared doc or whiteboard. When people are prepared, they’re more likely to participate.

2. Use the roman thumb

After introducing the topic, ask for a roman thumb—thumbs up, sideways, or down—to quickly gauge initial reactions or agreement level. It’s a non-verbal way to create engagement before diving deeper.

3. Break into small groups

Have the team break into groups of 3–4 to discuss a specific question. Let them know that each group will share highlights from their discussion.

People tend to speak up more in smaller settings. Then, when sharing answers “on behalf of their group,” they feel more comfortable voicing ideas in the larger meeting.

This method works especially well for surfacing more nuanced answers.

4. Gently call on someone with purpose

Ask a mid-volume team member—someone who isn’t the shyest or the loudest—something like:

“I’m curious to hear your thoughts, Phyllis, as someone who cares about X (or has X perspective)…”

Then give them your undivided attention. Listen intently. Praise their contribution, and reflect it back:

“Phyllis, you make a really good point. What you said about X really stands out. I appreciate you sharing your perspective. Does that resonate with anyone else? Anything you’d add to Phyllis' point?”

5. Ask specific check in questions for team meetings

General prompts like “Any thoughts?” rarely work as check in questions for team meetings. Try more targeted prompts like:

• What’s your number one concern or suggestion around this topic?
• What are two ways we could leverage or resolve X?
• What’s one thing you think would make the biggest difference in X?
• What’s one small shift we could try right away?

The more concrete the question, the more likely people are to engage.

If the silence persists…

You might be facing a deeper culture challenge—where your team doesn’t feel safe speaking up in front of you or one another. That’s a big red flag—and a signal that it’s time for a real culture shift.

We’d love to help you get there. Explore how our culture workshops can help you build psychological safety and better check in questions for team meetings.

Here’s to moving past the awkward silence and hosting meetings that matter!

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