A counterintuitive inclusion strategy

In several organizations I work with, I have observed that when leaders want to be more inclusive will grow their teams and enlarge their meetings, in a sincere effort to “not leave someone out,” or “make sure all viewpoints are considered.”

But, according to Patrick Lencioni, there are some big problems with having too many people on a team.

Namely, it’s difficult for team members to get to know each other, to develop the bonds of trust, when more than a handful of people are in the room. 

Perhaps more importantly, having too many people on a team makes decision-making really difficult. 

According to Harvard’s Chris Argyris, the two types of communication are advocacy (statement of ideas and opinions) and inquiry (asking questions to gain clarity and understanding).

When a group is too large, people realize they’ll be less likely to contribute or be heard, and will resort almost exclusively to advocacy, at the expense of inquiry.

Congress, or the United Nations, are not designed to be teams. 

Want to foster inclusion? Create a diverse environment where people are comfortable saying, “Wait a minute, I’d like to understand your rationale…”  

This may require a smaller team or meeting.