Are All Voices Equally Heard?

Are All Voices Equally Heard?
Are all voices equally heard, and is diversity of the group reflected within the feedback?
No. All voices are not equally heard. Diversity is a key asset during the decision-making process of a group. Rock and Grant (2016) note that diversity in a group leads to fewer errors. Further, the researchers reveal that diverse groups process information meticulously and are likely to outperform homogenous groups.
However, regardless of the above, only a few voices are often heard in the meetings. Extroverts seem always to have opportunities to speak their minds, while introverts either never have opportunities or have their contributions overlooked. In the end, the feedback never reflects the diversity of the group since only a few members get an opportunity to voice their opinions.
Is time spent at the meetings productive, or is a lot of time wasted?
I feel like a lot of time is wasted because a few people draw much attention to themselves and their opinions. Therefore, a lot of time is spent trying to either convince one person that their opinion is not apt for the problem at hand or discussing the viability of someone’s opinion. This often shuts off the rest of the group because it is made to look like no one else can speak or share their opinion until a point or argument is demystified. So, the best arguments, opinions, or points are sometimes never shared. I believe there are better ways to go about the meetings to avoid spending a lot of time on a single person or opinion while also giving everyone a chance to voice their opinion.
Are the decisions that are made solid ones? Or do they suffer from problems mentioned in the background materials such as groupthink?
From time to time, the decisions made are solid. However, most times, the decisions made suffer from problems like groupthink. Whenever attention shifts to an individual, the credibility of the meeting becomes compromised because of the shift in focus. Some people who show interest at the start of meetings often withdraw to themselves and speak less while agreeing with what the group appears to consider a decision. However, we have often failed to observe that ...