Do you see a shift in how someone behaves depending on who’s around?
The same individual can be assertive in one setting and restrained in another. Aloof in one instance then engaged and chatty when someone else joins the call. Opinions harden when certain people are present, soften when they aren’t. Challenges disappear. Agreement becomes more infrequent. When those people are absent, the tone can harden, confidence returns, and previously unspoken concerns surface.
That isn’t coincidence.
Meetings are rarely neutral spaces. They are shaped by hierarchy, influence, history, and perceived consequence. People calculate risk. They adjust language. They choose whether to engage or remain a bystander, advance an idea or park it. Professionalism often includes managing how visible your true position is.
This isn’t about calling it out. It’s about recognising it.
If you want to understand what’s really happening in an organisation, don’t just record the decisions made. Notice who was in the room when they were made, and who wasn’t. Notice who controlled the room and narrative, and who encouraged the open and safe space to speak.
- This post is Day 97 of my #100DaysToOffload challenge. Want to get involved? Find out more at 100DaysToOffload.com
Photo by Oleg Laptev on Unsplash
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