Dear Bob ...[In response to "Running an effective meeting," Advice Line, 3/24/2008)] An old military tradition when soliciting consensus or opinion on a specific topic is to ask the meeting participants in reverse seniority order. The thinking there was that you'd get the person's real opinion, rather than hearing him parrot the senior officer present if you went in the order of seniority.Do you think that this Dear Bob …[In response to “Running an effective meeting,” Advice Line, 3/24/2008)] An old military tradition when soliciting consensus or opinion on a specific topic is to ask the meeting participants in reverse seniority order. The thinking there was that you’d get the person’s real opinion, rather than hearing him parrot the senior officer present if you went in the order of seniority.Do you think that this is a worthwhile approach in civilian meetings? – Old Military TraditionalistDear OMT …My orthodox Jewish friends tell me the Talmud offers similar guidance. In capital cases, the rabbis who form the deciding council speak in order from most junior to most senior, for the exact reasons you cite. I don’t know how applicable this is to business settings, since the rank of the people who participate in most planning meetings isn’t as clearly fixed.With one exception – I’ve advised leaders numerous times to speak last (“Knowing when to speak,” Keep the Joint Running, 12/8/2008).– Bob Technology Industry