What Happens When Everyone Agrees Too Quickly?

Executive Field Note 054

Agreement feels efficient.

The issue appears settled.

Resistance disappears.

Action can begin.

But rapid agreement can contain very different information.

The conclusion may be obvious.

Or hierarchy may have made disagreement expensive.

An assumption may be shared.

A missing perspective may never have entered the room.

Everyone may even be solving the same incorrectly framed problem.

Agreement tells us that positions have converged.

It does not tell us why.

Sometimes the most useful information in a meeting is the position that never became available to hear.

Executive Question:

What would have to be true for everyone in this room to disagree with you safely?

Published by Executive Insights. A publication of Axiom Research Press