Surprisingly, the most commonly used way to share information or make decisions in a team still seems to be the infamous “round-table turn-taking”.

A rudimentary facilitation format that quickly loses effectiveness as the number of people involved increases.

What generally happens in a round-table turn-taking session with more than 6 or 7 people?

1. The first person to speak is usually the most extroverted one, or the one most interested in influencing the group.

2. Introverted people tend to speak less and to speak last.

3. The length of each contribution tends to increase as the round progresses, and timing can easily overrun.

4. Attention rises shortly before one’s own turn to speak and drops immediately afterwards.

5. A debate on a random topic may start before everyone has had a chance to speak.

Overall, round-table turn-taking takes a long time, does not guarantee equal opportunity to speak, and does not bring out the collective point of view, only the more visible individual ones.