[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-414769-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-414769-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","make-the-most-of-meetings-three-saboteurs-hidden-decisions-hidden-roles-hidden-agenda","Make the Most of Meetings - Three Saboteurs: Hidden Decisions, Hidden Roles, Hidden Agenda","","Meeting dynamics often drift aimlessly, prolonging discussions and creating more problems than solutions. This guide explains how three covert forces commonly sabotage groups: hidden decisions, hidden roles, and hidden agendas. It describes tactics such as ignored ideas (“plop”), pre-decided speeches (“manipulative attack”), and the “handclasp” that assigns discussion to others. It also covers balancing roles like harmonizer, gate-keeper, compromiser, follower, and summarizer, plus strategies for leaders to surface and manage underlying agendas.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/make-the-most-of-meetings-three-saboteurs-hidden-decisions-hidden-roles-hidden-agenda/414769/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/make-the-most-of-meetings-three-saboteurs-hidden-decisions-hidden-roles-hidden-agenda/414769.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"McQueen","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What are the three common saboteurs in any meeting?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"The three are hidden decisions, hidden roles, and hidden agenda. They operate subtly and steer group progress away from open, shared deliberation.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How do hidden decisions undermine group discussion?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"They occur when choices are made without full participation, such as when an idea is ignored (“plop”), a participant redirects discussion with a long speech (“manipulative attack”), or a “handclasp” decision is announced and quickly assigned to someone else to start the discussion.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What roles and behaviors can create problems, even with good intentions?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Roles like harmonizers and gate-keepers may prioritize surface agreement or participation quantity over quality, while compromisers may settle for the lowest acceptable outcome. Summarizers can also risk isolating themselves by seeming all-knowing, and followers can become passive observers if they take the role permanently.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},414769,1792213578,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":106,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":106,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},5909890329169,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","# Make the Most of Meetings\n\nANY hospital meetings seem to drag onMforever,wandering aimlessly from sub-ject to subject and creating more problemsthan they solve.Why do such situations arise?  \nOften,subtle things happen in groups thatare not obvious to the participants.Decisionsare made without everyone's taking part;participants play roles that help or hinder thegroup's progress;unplanned topics spring upduring the meeting and influence its progress.In short,there are three possible saboteurs inany group:hidden decisions,hidden roles,andhidden agenda.  \n## Hidden decisions\n\nTaking a formal vote is only one way ofmaking decisions;many decisions are tacit.One of the common types is the “plop,”madewhen someone throws out an idea,comment,or suggestion that is not picked up or ap-parently even noticed by anyone else.Thegroup has decided to ignore him and con-tinues as if nothing has been said.  \nThe “manipulative attack”is used by a par-ticipant who wants the group to discuss onlyhis ideas.\"Let's talk about the new equip-ment we need in the radiology department,”he says-and before anyone else can utter aword,he's off on a long speech.By the timehe has finished,the decision to talk about hissubject has already been made.  \nA similar kind of hidden decision is the  \nHOSPITAL SUPERVISION  \n\"handclasp.\"The handclasp decision-makerannounces the decision he has made for thegroup-\"I think we ought to discuss the over-crowding in the pediatrics ward”-and thenappoints someone else to get the ball rolling:“What are your ideas on the subject,John?”  \nThe trouble with these decision-makingtechniques is that they stifle free expression;they force the group to discuss subjects inter-esting to only a few members;and they tendto discourage new ideas.  \n## Hidden roles\n\nThe harmonizer,the compromiser,thesummarizer-these are some of the rolesmembers play in a meeting,consciously or un-consciously.A participant may play severalroles,alternating among them as the situationchanges.  \nThe harmonizer assumes the responsibilityfor maintaining a pleasant,friction-free atmos-phere.He or she aims to preserve,if not atruly harmonious meeting,at least the surfaceappearance of one.Unfortunately,the har-monizer may not recognize that conflict andcreativity are often closely related,that with-out exploring different ideas and opinions agroup will become sterile and bland.  \nThe gate-keeper tries to keep communica-tion channels open-facilitating the exchangeof ideas,suggesting procedures to get maxi-mum participation from all members.He or  \nshe performs a valuable function by assuringthat all members are allowed and encouragedto speak.  \nHowever,the gatekeeper's focus too oftenis on the quantity of participation rather thanits quality;he or she too often judges effec-tiveness not by what was said but by the factthat all members said something.  \nThe compromiser seeks a mddle groundacceptable to all members.He or she seeks thelowest common denominator,sometimesswapping the best solution for one that isagreeable to all.Compromise is sometimes essential in getting a group to agree on a deci-sion or action -but if compromise is takentoo far,the solution agreed upon may meetonly a minimum standard of acceptability.  \nThe follower is obviously an essential rolein any meeting.Effective followership re-quires understanding the group's decision,weighing the pros and cons of the proposal,and making a real commitment to support adecision,once it has been made.  \nThe effective follower plays as active apart as an effective leader does,but the mem-ber who elects to take on permanently therole of follower becomes merely a passive ob-server of the action.  \nThe summarizer,like the other roles a-dopted by members,can be useful in a meet-ing.He or she is likely to be skilled in recog-nizing the related parts of different ideas andpulling them together.The summarizer re-states suggestions and discussions,incorporat-ing all the ideas that have been presented.Buthe runs the risk o","cbCaiiCCj0wHnrzn","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiCCj0wHnrzn","pdf",1728528,"English","# Make the Most of Meetings\n## Hidden decisions\n## Hidden roles\n## Hidden agenda","[{\"question\":\"What are the three common saboteurs in any meeting?\",\"answer\":\"The three are hidden decisions, hidden roles, and hidden agenda. They operate subtly and steer group progress away from open, shared deliberation.\"},{\"question\":\"How do hidden decisions undermine group discussion?\",\"answer\":\"They occur when choices are made without full participation, such as when an idea is ignored (“plop”), a participant redirects discussion with a long speech (“manipulative attack”), or a “handclasp” decision is announced and quickly assigned to someone else to start the discussion.\"},{\"question\":\"What roles and behaviors can create problems, even with good intentions?\",\"answer\":\"Roles like harmonizers and gate-keepers may prioritize surface agreement or participation quantity over quality, while compromisers may settle for the lowest acceptable outcome. Summarizers can also risk isolating themselves by seeming all-knowing, and followers can become passive observers if they take the role permanently.\"}]","Make the Most of Meetings - Three Saboteurs: Hidden Decisions, Hidden Roles, Hidden Agenda | PDF",1790598651,18]