Surprisingly, the most commonly used method for sharing information or making decisions in a team still seems to be the infamous “round table discussion”.

This is a rudimentary facilitation method that quickly loses its effectiveness as the number of people involved increases.

What usually happens in a round table discussion with more than 6 or 7 people?

1. The first person to speak is the most extroverted or the one who has the greatest interest in influencing the group.

2. Introverts tend to speak less and last.

3. The length of the interventions increases as people progress, and there is a risk of exceeding the time limit.

4. Attention is focused just before one's own contribution and drops immediately afterwards.

5. A debate may arise before everyone has spoken on a random topic.

In general, round-table discussions take a long time, do not guarantee equal expression (although they should) and do not bring out the collective point of view, but only the most “prominent” individual ones.