The same three people speak in every team meeting

The situation

A DSD supervisor notices that the same three people speak in meetings while newer staff and staff from other backgrounds stay quiet. One person told the supervisor privately that speaking up once got them nowhere.

What to notice first

• Quiet is being read as agreement.
• Input that changed nothing teaches people to stop offering it.
• Positional power and meeting format are shaping who speaks.

Questions to ask before acting

1. What changed in the last quarter because someone spoke up, and did the team hear about it?
2. How could people contribute without speaking fast in a live meeting?
3. Who opens, who summarizes, and who speaks last?

Practical next moves

• Strengthen team climate (Practice path) — program page /paths/gp-4
• Psychological safety and repair — program page /resources/lm-psychological-safety-and-repair
• Accessible and culturally responsive meetings — program page /resources/ja-accessible-meetings

Who to involve

This is practice work the supervisor owns. If a complaint about a named person surfaces, use the confidential channel. DSD staff can request a consultation to prepare a team conversation.