Even Bob is Okay With It.

A forcing function is a deliberately designed step in a process forcing us to pause and be conscious of a task. For example, a child proof cap on a pill bottle.

Other people often serve as forcing functions.

Their response to our ideas involving or affecting them can force us to review, modify, or stop a process.

It follows that anything weakening another person’s ability to independently influence or impede our progress can mislead us into proceeding as if we have their consent or at least neutral non-objection. Our response can be sincere. Or it can be our wilful blindness. Especially when we have contributed to their weakened position. We can tell ourselves and others a story - ‘We’ve got the whole team on board. Even Bob’s okay with it!’

Another person’s forcing function capacity can be affected by a power imbalance. Being their boss, is a common example. Gaps in information is another. Do they have a fixed or ongoing contract? How secure is their position? More practically, illness, Life distractions, cognitive impairment, or even alcohol consumption can lower a person’s ability to push back and give us pause to review our decision making or behaviour.

It is very dangerous, negligent, and reckless for us to tell ourselves a story that we’ve recruited other people’s voluntary consent to our cause when we know we’ve denied them permission to freely express any reservations they have about our decision. Our coercion can be as subtle as the hype many workplaces engage in about being a ‘team’ or the rah-rah team building hype nonsense that goes on. It’s a form of intoxication reducing the capacity for the mental and spiritual effort often required to dissent. It’s bad for them. It’s bad for the organisation or team. It’s bad for us.

And yet it’s common in workplaces.