The Consensus Trap: Why Your Team Says Yes But Does Nothing
The Sound of Hollow Alignment
I’m rubbing the bridge of my nose, feeling the lingering sting of salt from a handful of smoked almonds I ate too fast. The whiteboard marker clicks shut-a sharp, plastic sound that signals the end of another 57-minute exercise in futility. Around the table, seven heads nod in a synchronized rhythm that would be impressive if it weren’t so hollow. The Director, a man who wears his optimism like a shield he’s forgotten how to put down, beams at us. “Great,” he says, his voice bouncing off the glass walls. “So we’re all aligned. Everyone’s on board with the shift to the new regional procurement model?”
More nodding. A chorus of “Absolutelys” and “Makes sense” ripples through the room. We file out, but the moment the heavy oak door swings shut, the atmosphere shifts. I’m walking behind Sarah and Jim. They aren’t three steps down the hallway before the real meeting starts. Sarah leans in, her voice dropping into that conspiratorial register that usually precedes a disaster. “There is no way this is going to work,” she mutters. Jim doesn’t even look at her; he just stares at his phone, his thumb flicking aggressively. “I’m not changing my team’s workflow for this. Did you see the projections? They’re total fantasy. We’ll