Have you been in a meeting where a small, seemingly simple decision has resulted in a big discussion? Or where a complex issue has been agreed on with very little conversation? If so, you might have been experiencing a phenomenon known as bikeshedding.
What is bikeshedding?
Bikeshedding is a term coined by nuclear engineer and management consultant C. Northcote Parkinson, and is also known as Parkinson’s law of triviality. Parkinson used the term bikeshedding to describe the experience of committees who focused conversations on small, unimportant topics at the expense of discussions on larger, important topics.
Parkinson used the following example; a committee had two things to discuss in a single meeting; one, the plans for a nuclear power plant, and two, the materials to use for a bikeshed. The committee may spent the majority of their time talking about the bikeshed, which they were able to criticise and engage with constructively, whilst neglecting the power plant, which was far more important but more difficult to comprehend.
The term bikeshedding was born, and used to describe the experience of a group expending time and energy discussing something marginal.
Why does bikeshedding happen?
Bikeshedding can occur in meetings because it is far easier to discuss something simple than something complex. When the meeting focuses on something marginal, like the size of a font or the colour of a product, many of us find it much easier to contribute.
We can express our opinions, we can ask questions and most importantly, we can feel that those opinions and questions are valid. However, the discussions that occur when something trivial is being discussed often aren’t valuable and can result in meetings feeling boring or unnecessary.
In contrast, when the meeting focuses on something complex, it can feel much more intimidating to engage with. We might worry that our questions make us sound unintelligent or ill-equipped, or we might not understand something thoroughly enough to be able to form an opinion or engage with something critically.
A meeting is a social space, and there can be a pressure to perform; to prove that you’re a good employee, manager or colleague. When we don’t feel like that’s possible, we might find it easier to avoid a topic completely.
How can we stop bikeshedding?
Bikeshedding is more likely to occur when meetings are large, and when there are a number of topics to discuss. In big groups, a simple question which has a seemingly obvious answer often still results in multiple people speaking on the same subject. This leads to repetition, echo chambers and ultimately meeting fatigue for those attending.
When the meeting isn’t as focused as it should be, and there are a number of goals, bikeshedding is a common occurrence. Those attending might be tempted to discuss the issue that feels easy and achievable, rather than the issue that could lead to conflict or that focuses on something they don’t feel confident speaking about.
By keeping the invite list to meetings short, and the focus singular, you can stop bikeshedding before the meeting has started. Keeping the invite list short means that everyone has the time and space to engage with the topic. A single meeting should have a single discussion topic, and a clear goal that is communicated to attendees beforehand - that way, everyone knows what the aim of the meeting is, and can stay on track.
To counter bikeshedding, you also need someone leading the meeting who feels comfortable steering the conversation, ensuring that the discussion stays focused and can gently interrupt chats which aren’t relevant to the goal. Check out our article here to learn how to organise meetings that are engaging, productive and that get decisions made.
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