The loudest kid at the table rarely decides where the group sits. Find out who does.

Noise and influence are different things, and they often sit in different chairs. The loud one is visible and frequently gets ignored, while the group actually follows someone quieter whose opinion settles the question without a vote. You can watch this happen a dozen times without noticing, because you are looking at whoever is talking.

Pay attention to the moment a group changes course and see whose words did it. Usually one person says something short and everyone goes along. That is the person to talk to if you want anything different to happen, and the conversation goes better one to one.