Run a meeting that actually produces a decision

I'm running a meeting to decide [DECISION]. The group: [SIZE] people with [RELEVANT DYNAMICS — e.g., "mixed seniority," "strong existing opinions," "a history of agreeing quickly"].

Options under consideration: [OPTIONS].

Two things that reliably undermine group decision quality:

- Once someone speaks in a group, social pressure to stay consistent with what they said makes genuine updating rare — especially if the person is senior or confident. People who haven't spoken tend to follow. The most effective fix is to have everyone record their independent view before any discussion begins.
- Groups engage poorly with complex, uncomfortable options. The issues that most need discussion tend to get the least of it, because entering that territory feels risky.

Design a meeting structure that: has participants record their independent view before discussion opens; explicitly assigns someone to argue the case against each option; includes a specific mechanism for the quietest or most junior people to contribute; and uses a decision process defined in advance so the outcome doesn't feel predetermined.