Ideas need more than an open microphone
A brainstorming call can become a sequence of long speeches, with quieter colleagues struggling to enter the conversation. A shared screen may show the notes while one person controls what is written. Teams and Zoom can support collaborative work, but the session needs a structure that gives everyone room to think and contribute.
Separate generating ideas from discussing them
Start with one clear question. Give participants a few minutes to write ideas independently before opening discussion. Collect contributions in a shared place, group similar suggestions and ask people to explain the promising ones. This prevents the first confident suggestion from defining the entire session.
Make the ideas visible
Choose a board or note-taking method that participants can access. Name ideas clearly and record the reasoning behind them. If someone cannot use the shared tool, offer another route to contribute. The facilitator should guide the process rather than become the only person allowed to add content.
Consider another environment when it suits the group
A VR meeting room can offer a shared setting for discussion and visual material. It may be useful when a team wants to explore a different way of collaborating, but it does not replace facilitation. Trial a short workshop and check whether participants can contribute comfortably, find the notes and agree useful next steps. End by assigning responsibility for the ideas selected.
Explore the next step
If this is a challenge for your organisation, find out whether a different meeting or event format could help. Explore OowOah VR Meeting Rooms.