In a team, there are always a few people who are more forceful in presenting ideas than others. Some of them may have become opinion leaders and be respected for their presence with the team. In this they become psychological leaders, that is leaders people trust and go to when they seek support. They may but don’t need to be the official team leader.

When either of them rushes to conclusions in a team meeting, there is a higher probability that everyone else will simply join the conclusion.

It’s nice to agree.

Going against having an agreement takes courage. It means to stop the team from moving on and confronting them with the request to reflect on the decision and its possible flaws. It is challenging as it will feel like one opinion against many. It is stepping into a leadership position without knowing if others will follow.

However, the faster decisions are made, the less space there is for the team to discuss and deliberate. Without such permission, the team members will either start to focus on doing what feels right to them or stop innovating and sharing ideas.

Buying into a decision is supported by having had the possibility to discuss it, to experience the tension of other perceptions of the problem being present in the room, to present one’s ideas, and see how others reacted to them. It allows to get a better grasp of what the decision is about and thus allows commitment to it. The process allows one to let go of what one perceived as the way to go and join what the group established as the way to go.

In such a process it is nice to agree that none of the ideas presented need to be perfect or the final answer.