Why is fake consultation hurting my team's trust?

You have already decided, and then you run a consultation anyway. Everyone in the room can tell. The choice is locked, their input changes nothing, and the exercise fools no one. It was meant to feel inclusive, and instead it has quietly taught your team that their voice does not matter. The damage here is trust, and it is real, but it is not permanent. People do not mind that leaders sometimes have to decide alone. What they resent is being asked to weigh in on something that was never open. The pretence costs more than an honest, I have made this call, would have. Fake consultation is worse than no consultation. Going forward, be clear about which kind of decision each one is. If it is already made, tell them so and tell them why, and do not stage a debate. If it is genuinely open, then mean it, and let their input actually move you. Say plainly next time, this one is mine and here is the reasoning, or, this one is open and I want your thinking. Honesty about the process will win back more than any show of inclusion ever could.