It’s almost time for your weekly director’s meeting and you catch yourself thinking, “I know exactly how that meeting is going to go.” It’s the same script, same cast, same ending. Everyone plays their part, the discussion circles back on itself, and nothing really changes. You walk in already anticipating your frustration.
What if your ability to predict the outcome of the meeting isn’t a sign of your insight, but proof that you’ve become part of the pattern? When a group dynamic is stuck, every person is contributing to the script, whether they realize it or not. The truth is, the only way to break the cycle is for something to get different - and the only person you can change is you.
When meetings feel like reruns, it’s easy to check out or get cynical – and there’s a staggering cost to that, which includes your own engagement and the ability for your team to reach its goals. But what if you experimented in your next meeting by changing your lines in the script? Your tone, your energy, and your questions have the power to rewrite the plot. When you step out of the predictable, you create space for everyone else to do the same.
Try one of these and see if you can disrupt the pattern.
Challenge the assumptions that keep meetings predictable by bringing fresh, open-ended questions to the table. Here are a few to try:
These questions disrupt autopilot conversations and invite creativity, honesty, and new perspectives into the room.
When the same voices dominate, the same patterns persist. Suggest bringing in someone who isn’t part of the usual group—a colleague from another department, a frontline team member, or even a customer. A fresh perspective can reveal blind spots, challenge assumptions, and shift the energy of the conversation.
If you’re noticing a loop, chances are others are too. While it’s tempting to avoid naming it—especially among peers or in front of your boss—calling out the pattern might be the shake-up the group needs. Try something like:
Naming the pattern doesn’t have to feel like confrontation—it can be an invitation to explore a better way forward.
Before the meeting, imagine yourself in someone else’s role—especially someone whose behavior you find frustrating or predictable. What might they be experiencing that’s keeping them in their pattern? In the meeting, approach them with curiosity by saying:
This strategy creates a disarming moment and shifts the tone from resistance to connection. It’s not about agreeing with them; it’s about breaking the unspoken battle of assumptions and inviting them to step out of their script.
If you find yourself checking out during your next meeting, remember that staying silent means choosing to keep playing your part in the same cycle. And the cost is frustration, disengagement, and a team that feels stuck. Over time, these patterns erode trust, kill momentum, and make real progress impossible. By disrupting the script, you don’t just change the meeting—you change the possibility of what the team can achieve.