Organizations often rely on committees to make high-stakes decisions. But simply getting the right people in the room isn’t enough. If you want your committee to surface real insights and make stronger decisions, you need to design the process to promote candor, curiosity, and dissent. Here’s how.
Focus on process, not just outcomes. Don’t just aim for consensus—build meeting structures that encourage members to share what they know. Design voting and discussion protocols that reduce conformity and make it easier to speak up. The mechanics of how a meeting runs can either limit or unlock the group’s full potential.
Tackle status dynamics directly. Psychological safety is critical. Monitor participation, make space for quieter voices, and reward those who challenge assumptions. Balanced speaking time, open-ended questions, and leader modeling of inquiry all encourage people to share information they might otherwise withhold.
Rethink how you vote. Use simultaneous voting to prevent groupthink. When people don’t see others’ votes ahead of time, they’re more likely to form independent judgments—and more motivated to share privately held insights during discussion. This one change can lead to broader conversations, richer insights, and smarter decisions. |
