While the practice is frequently overused, a meeting often is the most effective way to make plans, review progress and solve problems. Done properly, a meeting gives everyone an opportunity to have their say, listen to all other points of view, argue about the facts, and at least understand how the final decision was reached. For that kind of meeting to be effective, the participants must be comfortable with the concept that people don t always agree with each other. They have to understand that a certain amount of conflict can be a good thing. In fact, a lack of conflict can mean that the players simply don t trust each other.
Many people are reluctant to lay all their cards on the table when they don t trust all the players.
Most people have a natural tendency to avoid conflict if possible. It s best to get different points of view on the table, hammer them out, and leave the meeting with a decision. If people don t have their say in the meeting, they will in the hall after the meeting. Conflict at the highest-level staff meetings of many very successful companies is legendary. Microsoft and Intel come to mind.