Listen First, Comment Later [Archive.org URL]

Several studies have shown that when groups fail to arrive at decisions, it’s often because they devote too much time to finding common ground rather than weighing the pros and cons of what each person is saying. Meetings are especially ineffective when attendees begin by disclosing which way they are leaning; upon voicing an opinion about a decision, people are more likely to ignore information that others introduce, even if it could potentially change their opinion or contribute to a better decision. Thus, managers should reduce the number of distractions that may impede group members from processing new information and to ask participants to hold their opinions until the end of a meeting.

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