Reduce status transactions

You’ve been in those meetings, where there’s a lot of talk but no decision or action, where people are blabbing on or interrupting to score points or to look good, and the conversation ends up just repeating itself.

When the teams I work with suffer from this, I ask the meeting organizer: why are we here?

Then they hand me an agenda.

I look at it and again say: I see what we’re going to discuss, but to what end?

Are we here to make a group decision?

Are we going to give you our perspectives, so you as the leader can make a decision?

When teams don’t have a clear sense of how a decision will be made, the result can be that people spend more time on status transactions than contributing to a solution. 

A status transaction is a comment or non-verbal communication that communicates one’s status as higher or lower than another person -- what psychologists refer to as social dominance and submission.

All social (pack) animals (including humans) rely on unwritten rules to prevent them from constantly fighting for resources, and because these unspoken understandings are based on dominance and strength, they result in a “pecking order” within a pack or tribe (or team).

The sociobiological result is that animals (and humans) know their place and their value, so they don’t have to fight for resources and mating opportunities.

Even in conference rooms and on Zoom, we are sending each other signals like eye contact, posture, stillness, raised voices, etc. in order to establish dominance or submission.

This happens in “flat” organizations and "self-organized" teams as well. Don't think that just because you don't have hierarchical management that people aren't vying for points and power. It’s human nature based on thousands of generations of group survival.

To reduce status transactions during discussions, answer the question that most leaders leave out: How will a decision be made?

According to the seminal book Crucial Conversations, there are four ways to make a decision:

• Command – Decide without involvement or input from others.

• Consult – Invite others to provide input, then you decide.

• Vote – Discuss options and then call for a vote.

• Consensus – Discuss the issue until everyone agrees to one course of action.

Each method has its uses and strengths, but from my experience, option two (Consult) most often results in the best decision with the most efficient use of resources.

Whichever method you’re using, make it clear up front, and you can reduce status transactions and circular conversations during meetings.