All eyes settled on Alicia. “Alicia, tell me again, what you believe your role is as Division Manager on the Phoenix Project?”

I had asked this question before and I could tell Alicia had practiced the answer. “My role is to put the team together, assign the leadership, make sure there is consensus and that the project stays on track.”

“And what is the name of this meeting?” I continued.

“Well, this is the Project Team meeting,” she replied.

“And do you attend these meetings?”

“Yes, at the end of the day, I am responsible for the Phoenix Project.”

“And, as the Division Manager, have you abdicated your responsibility, as a manager, to a watered down decision making protocol called consensus, in an effort to appease everyone and get everyone to play nice?”

I think I detected a bit more shifting in the chairs as this meeting was getting closer to the truth.