The consensus trap occurs when decision-making is stalled by the pursuit of unanimous agreement. While seeking input and alignment is valuable and at times essential, excessive focus on consensus can lead to wrong decisions, delays, weak compromises, or complete inaction altogether.
When organisations prioritise harmony over progress, they risk avoiding hard but necessary choices. This is particularly problematic in fast-moving environments where decisive action is critical.
How to avoid the consensus trap
The principle of disagree and commit helps counteract this by allowing debate during deliberation but requiring commitment once a decision is made. Strong leaders will encourage diverse perspectives, while ensuring execution isn’t stalled by lack of full agreement.