If you facilitate any meetings or workshops, you are already familiar with the most common forms of dysfunction. People show up late, leave early, dominate the conversation, or sit without speaking hoping for the meeting to end without any obligations thrust in their laps. Face it…bad meeting behavior just….happens. We can’t avoid meetings though. Meetings are essential for collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving in any organization. But the plague of dysfunction can be even more devastating than you expect! Beyond the expected meeting no-no’s, there lie advanced forms of dysfunction that not only hinder productivity and effectiveness but create resentment and burn potential. Understanding these dysfunctions and employing skilled facilitation to combat them can transform meetings into efficient and productive sessions. This blog post explores dealing with advanced dysfunction in meetings using great facilitation!
Dealing with Advanced Dysfunction #1: Hidden Agendas
Hidden agendas occur when participants have undisclosed motives or goals that influence their behavior during meetings. This can lead to mistrust, conflict, and unproductive discussions.
Characteristics:
- Participants pushing their own interests subtly, or not so subtly
- Distrust and suspicion among team members
- Decisions made that benefit a few at the expense of the group
Facilitation Solutions:
Getting ahead of a hidden agenda is critical. Consider asking the group what they want to talk about up front BEFORE launching into the prepared agenda. I use a technique where I get them to write down their individual objectives before beginning the meeting. It helps make sure that each person is aware of where everyone else stands. I also employ ground rules – and review them explicitly – to ensure that people know that the session or meeting is a safe space for open communication!
Dealing with Advanced Dysfunction #2: Groupthink
Groupthink is the tendency for group members to conform to a consensus viewpoint without critically evaluating alternative ideas, often to maintain harmony and avoid conflict.
Characteristics:
- Lack of dissenting opinions.
- Overestimation of the group’s decision-making abilities.
- Ignoring potential risks or alternative solutions.
Facilitation Solutions:
Getting around group think means encouraging more than just the loudest voices to speak. I ensure that everyone in the room contributes, but that often means allowing for some silence so more introverted participants can think. I do it so often, I’ve given it a name, the Introvert Minute, and after soliciting opinions or ideas, I suggest that we wait one minute for everyone to gather their thoughts before beginning our discussion. As facilitators, we can define the way work happens in our sessions, and I find that creating small groups to discuss ideas can also lead to more open conversations that bring out more ideas.
Dealing with Advanced Dysfunction #3: Domination by a Few Voices
In some meetings, a few individuals dominate the conversation, leaving little room for others to contribute. This can stifle creativity and lead to unbalanced decision-making.
Characteristics:
- Overpowering presence of dominant individuals.
- Minimal participation from quieter members.
- Decisions reflecting the views of a few rather than the group.
Facilitation Solutions:
It doesn’t take long to identify the dominant voices in the room. The minute you finish speaking, they start. But we can organize activities that prevent total dominance of the conversation. Round robin is a good way to get everyone to speak, and don’t forget to use a timer to make sure everyone “shares the air”. I like to set ground rules that let everyone know that we will be listening as well as speaking, like “headline comments” and “respect the speaker”. I also make sure that I find ways to “select” different people as group leaders, using objective criteria such as “the leader is the person who’s initials are closest together in the alphabet” or “the leader is the person who has most recently been out of the country” to ensure that everyone participates throughout the session.
Dealing with Advanced Dysfunction #4: A Lack of Focus and Direction
Meetings can easily become unfocused, with discussions veering off-topic and failing to achieve the intended outcomes. This results in wasted time and frustration.
Characteristics:
- Tangential conversations and frequent digressions.
- Only a few people engaged in the conversation
- Extended meeting times without productive results.
Facilitation Solutions:
A lack of focus in a meeting is an all too often occurrence. It is the facilitators job to recognize the “rabbit hole” early and prevent the group from diving in. In addition to having an agenda that directly acknowledges what the group wants to talk about (see Hidden Agenda, earlier in this blog), facilitators need to pay close attention to the evidence that is presented and the stories that are used to support points of view. One technique I have found useful is the use of a timer to monitor discussions. Make sure it is visible to everyone. You will find that people will both economize their speech and stay on topic as they see time dwindling down. Keeping notes visible and using questions to make sure comments “fit” with the topic will also keep meetings moving toward a conclusion.
Dealing with Advanced Dysfunction #5: Resistance to Change
Resistance to change can manifest in meetings when participants are unwilling to consider new ideas or approaches, often due to fear of the unknown or attachment to the status quo.
Characteristics:
- Reluctance to explore new solutions.
- Defensiveness and skepticism towards change.
- Preference for familiar methods and ideas.
Facilitation Solutions:
Dealing with change resistance is certainly not a “one answer addresses all” issue. Good facilitators will delve into the problem to understand what is causing the resistance. Sometimes, the core issue is one that must be addressed by the group before a change earns the commitment of the participants. We must remember that the meeting does not make the change we wish to see, the people do. Addressing their fears openly, empathetically, and directly will build the trust in the organization and the collaborative mindset that will be needed when the going gets tough down the road.
Conclusion
Dysfunction in meetings can significantly hinder an organization’s ability to collaborate effectively and make sound decisions. It is important to remember that no one wakes up with the intention to be dysfunctional. I know, it’s hard to believe with some people, but it is true! Everyone goes to work every day wanting to do a good job and feel the love and respect of their peers. Skilled facilitation is key to addressing these issues when they do arise, ensuring that meetings are productive, inclusive, and focused. By understanding and tackling hidden agendas, groupthink, domination by a few voices, lack of focus, and resistance to change, facilitators can create a meeting environment that fosters open communication, critical thinking, and collective problem-solving. Through these efforts, meetings can become powerful tools for driving organizational success and innovation.
If you want to learn more about advanced dysfunction and all the things you can do to prevent it and deal with it, contact us! If you want to learn more about facilitation excellence, reach out to www.INIFAC.com, the International Institute for Facilitation!