Depends on what Need of yours you are trying to meet through participating. That answer can be very very different from person to person. Some people want to b

Depends on what Need of yours you are trying to meet through participating. That answer can be very very different from person to person. Some people want to belong to a group. Some need the group to get something done. Some want to control how a group thinks etc etc. And the path you take will be different in each case. So think about what need of yours you are trying to meet. In general they will pay attention to you if you show you have some value to them. Simplest way is to just show them you are paying attention to their views. Reflect it back. "so what you saying is...". Do it in a genuine non judgemental way. If its a formal meetings send out email summarizing the discussion acknowledging all sides and issues.