Greasing the skids

We have all been to the infamous "pre-meeting" that precedes the "actual" meeting. This where an advocate "greases the skids" for their proposal, securing key support so that an idea will sail through without dissent at the actual meeting. We have all done this at times to get our ideas enacted. What's wrong with this practice? Well, the players invited to the actual meeting may see the issue as a fair accompli and wonder why their time is being wasted. If this happens too often, people become very cynical. They may not commit to decisions because they perceive the decision process as pre-ordained and highly unfair. Moreover, a leader may not hear all dissenting views as people may self-censor if they perceive a fair accompli.