(1982). These are particularly critical for team leaders, given their disproportionate influence. Recognize different tools and techniques for making better decisions. First, when evaluating a set of options specifically denote time on your agenda to challenge the status quo. Lynn Offerman, writing in the HBR, suggests to the CEO that "one simple test of whether you're getting the feedback you need is to count how many employees challenge you at your next meeting.". Most successful organizations invest heavily in R&D because they understand that markets are becoming increasingly volatile and their survival, just like that of all organisms, hinges on the ability to evolve. This model especially rings true for most software dot-com companies. Kevin: Say a patient gives Dr. Jones permission to view and incorporate their information. One way leaders can expand a groups breadth of ideas is to break them into two teams which then discuss the pros and cons for a given idea. 1. Allowing the group to arrive at a decision without the leader present is a good strategy. Ultimately, it depends on how the thought translates to a value proposition for the business. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Who wants to argue with the boss? And the board, comprised of volunteers, often wants to avoid confrontation. Because from an audit train standpoint, I would agree, its going to be very difficult to submit backup every time a physician may access a patients record in their own system. healthy disagreement often spills over into conflict, Kit de communication pour les institution membres. Emerging Leadership Journeys. At that time we encouraged diverse opinions and avoided groupthink. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. After all, isn't a group's purpose of collaboratively generating ideas to accomplish a greater goal? Groupthink happens when leaders seek consensus so strongly that they discard alternative opinions without appraising the pros and cons. When there are structural issues (such as group isolation and a lack of impartial, The suppression of individual opinions and creative thought can lead to inefficient. What I have often suggestedand what seems to work for both boss and junioris to use the "name optional approach" to express views. This style of leadership surrounds itself with flexible individuals while dismissing team members with strong opinions. Hint: be approachable, listen closely, communicate clearly. Leaders should absent themselves from many of the group meetings to avoid excessively influencing the outcome. When the consequences of groupthink hamper medical, military, or political decisions, they can result in unfavourable outcomes. Think about the last time you were part of a group, perhaps during a school project. Famous examples of group-think include the decision of the US to invade Cuba in 1961 and Coca-Colas decision to launch New Coke in 1985. The phenomenon can be problematic, but even well-intentioned people are prone to making irrational decisions in the face of overwhelming pressure from the group. How will it limit our options? Another is What are our assumptions that lead us to this conclusion? Origin Janis (1971, 1982) popularized the term groupthink; however, he did not originate the concept. Remove time constraints. Regardless of how the government made decisions in the past, they would be well-advised to make sure all decision-making bodies follow this advice. Their goal was to figure out and recommend a process to the U.S. secretary of health and human services to make Americans health care records electronic by 2014. In other words, when we dont have a clear view of our own opinion, we simply adopt other members often, without even knowing it. Ken: Is there a way to propose a less onerous, but still comprehensive account? The loss of "liminal space" due to remote work can lead to role blurring and burnout. Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when the desire for group consensus overrides people's common sense desire to present alternatives, critique a position, or express an unpopular opinion. If you are a marketer you must translate the benefits of a strategy differently than people in finance, operations, manufacturing, et cetera. Its important to recognize the signs of complacent group agreement and proactively work to reverse the ride. You may also bring in expert outsiders who offer differing viewpoints and alternative strategies. One was Bob Nemens. Browse our vast range of services and resources to support wellbeing and growth: Wellbeing Ambassador Training Programme for Corporates, Wellbeing challenges for high-performance teams, Virtual onboarding best practices for 2022, Employee motivation strategies to maintain team morale. Learn how to combat groupthink as a leader. When growth stops, decay begins. In a world where changes occur in real time, being dogmatic becomes an existential threat to any organizations survival. While collaboration and cooperation are good, your team will never innovate and grow if they never explore different ways of thinking and solving problems. For example, one group we studied had the following conversation about whether patients should be able to see who had accessed their electronic health record: Daniel: The standard way to build transparency is that the technology can and does provide that auditing and that audit should itself be available to the patient whose information has been disclosed. How Othering Contributes to Discrimination and Prejudice, How Your Brain May Trick You Into Conforming With Peers Against Your Beliefs, Cultural AssimilationHow It Affects Mental Health. Nicky: Is there a recommended wording you think will make this point clear? (For example, is one reason why MBAs are sometimes regarded as arrogant the fact that they practice their training and present useful contrary views?) You may opt-out by. It is a role that Jack Welch is striving to play in his post-CEO life. But what are the risks in fighting groupthink for the leader and his subordinates? If I am not one already, I think I will aspire to be the office fool. Just because you're faced with lemons and apples, you don't necessarily have to make a blended juice at the onset. The leader can ask, What are the unintended consequences of this path? The company decided on its leadership style. First, all humans want to feel a sense of belonging with others our brains are wired to find our tribe, the people with whom we belong. I led the development and implementation of management and personnel development tools at a European company. While it's easier - and often natural - to hire and promote people who are like you and think like you, it is important to recognize the benefits of diversity on your leadership team. Split The Team And Have Them Argue For Both Sides, Succumbing to groupthink can blind teams to potential ideas, novelty and flaws in proposed plans. 2017;4(8):170193. doi:10.1098/rsos.170193. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. group members should be able to think outside the box. They found that the groups who avoided groupthink followed three steps: 1) They challenged the status quo; 2) They adopted a placeholder solution that allowed them to agree on broad principles even if they disagreed on the details; and 3) They celebrated progress towards a final agreement, which allowed them to maintain morale and momentum. Group decision making: The potential for groupthink. If patients are giving permission for the system to include their data, should that automatically come with permission to view the data? Groups are tempted to gravitate towards the status quo because they dont face a high cost if they fail. Encourage debate. 1 / 26 Flashcards Learn Test Match Created by Shirleen_Chang Terms in this set (26) expertise; decision; independent opinions Group decisions are better if the group relies on _________, members are motivated to get the best decision for the group, and contributing _____________. Medical, military, or political decisions, for example, can lead to unfortunate outcomes when they are impaired by the effects of groupthink. Also read: How to Prevent Work Disagreements from Turning into Conflicts. The act of preserving the status quo restricts growth. "Traditional" here doesnt infer that a system that works should be discarded or that an organization that has been in existence for a long time isnt doing something rightit simply speaks to the lack of innovation, creativity and evolution. Where is the patients control in this model? 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. For a classic example of this, read Robert Caro's prize-winning biography of builder Robert Moses who transformed the cityscape of New York City. Punitive and narcissistic bosses are two common forms of toxic leadership. Encourage group members to remain critical. The fact is that if you want to lead an imaginative and creative team, you must know how to avoid groupthink. Its easy to fall into groupthinking patterns, especially whenyoure focused on building a cohesive company culture. Successful leaders identify and promote employees who can augment their . The essential ingredient when trying to avoid group-think is to focus first on options and information, and to hold off preferences and advocacy for as long as possible. There are steps that groups can take to minimize this problem. Groupthink involves the decision-making process. You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, here. When people in groups have diverse backgrounds and experiences, they are better able to bring different perspectives, information, and ideas to the table. But the third group would wield considerable influence so as to tilt the balance of power against the CEO, thus always keeping the CEO on his or her toes. This is done by soliciting and encouraging questions, ideas and opinions from all in a way that is safe, open and comfortable for employees. Know when your hopes are well-founded and how to turn your deep desires into results. Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon Products, says that her children provide this kind of feedback for her. Barnes & Noble Press. Terms in this set (4) promote divergent thinking. As he commented: "While you can never eliminate ego [in a leader you are trying to influence], you can learn to be multilingual in expressing an idea." Exclusively curated by Manah Wellness. As Ina Ferber put it, " it is important to avoid groupthink during a decision-making process [integrate] as many views as possible and then get the buy in for the execution process." The message seems to be that leaders should to some degree foster both, although there was a general rejection of the term "groupthink" in favor of "consensus." It may encourage self-censorship among group members. Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1972. Third, express feedback in a way that shows you . By avoiding groupthink we were actually able to integrate as many different views as possible. When there is a high degree of cohesiveness. A few strategies to prevent groupthink from developing in your team is to keep the group structure organic, invite others in, set expectations for exploring all ideas, and continually shift team roles and responsibilities. Each of us has one overall mindset, but this mindset is made up of many smaller parts. A new survey reveals who fits the profile. Cummings has said the UKs response to COVID-19 was a classic example of group-think. -Billy Williams,Archegos, There is a tendency to bedriven by the corporate culture that we dont realize that our groupthink can exclude unintentionally. He wondered how smart decisionmakers, such as U.S. presidential administrations, could make bad decisions that led to catastrophes, such as John F. Kennedys Bay of Pigs fiasco, Richard Nixons Watergate decision, and the like. Groupthink is heavily discouraged in the companies where the leaders lead from behind. Ethical work contributes to wellbeing for oneself and others. At the time, there was no standard technology platform for health care providers, and no common technical language or coordination efforts across state lines. Typically, it is also the case that he or she has the courage to hold close even the fiercest critics. When group culture devolves into groupthink, however, adaptability becomes obsolete. In my experience, both these elements have resulted in deep and sustained change in the businesses I have observed in my working life. everyone in compliance. As a leader, one way to avoid groupthink is to listen to all opinions first, ask clarifying questions, challenge assumptions, then respond last. To build upon the poet John Donnes words, No one is an island in the modern workplace. Collaboration is both a fact and a necessity if a company wants to stay in business. Not if uniformity takes precedence over sound judgment. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. 6 Ways Your Partner Might Be Patronizing You, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Group decision making: The potential for groupthink, Diverse perspectives on the groupthink theory - A literary review, Groupthink among health professional teams in patient care: A scoping review, Groupthink principles and fundamentals in organizations. When the pressure to conform and agree in order to avoid conflict overrides the resourcefulness of leaders in presenting alternatives or expressing potentially unpopular opinions, groupthink may be getting the best of your leadership team. In many cases, people will set aside their own personal beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest of the group. Leading by trying to win a debate or litigate a court case leaves the group far . Fighting groupthink is probably just as worthy an endeavor as attaining "buy in." Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., is the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology at Claremont McKenna College. These tactics will help teams keep fresh ideas alive to fuel organizational creativity and innovation. Here are four ways: 1. Ignorance of the possibility of undesirable consequences, Inability to listen to those who hold divergent views, Inadequate planning to deal with adverse consequences, Ignoring critical facts and failing to perceive other solutions, Not looking for information that the organization may not be aware of, The existing situation and its complications, A list of all possible solutions and a breakdown of each one, The suggested solution and why it was selected, An overarching implementation strategy, timeframe, and budget. In his original descriptions of groupthink, Janis suggested that the escalation of the Vietnam War, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and the failure of the U.S. to heed warnings about a potential attack on Pearl Harbor were all influenced by groupthink. There were also significant legal, security and privacy concerns ranging from cybersecurity to patient privacy. Look out for these signs. It can be avoided by understanding what it is, recognising the symptoms, and taking proactive measures. Top business and career coaches from Forbes Coaches Council offer firsthand insights on leadership. Successful leaders believe in their team members and trust that they can get the job done. In many cases, people end up engaging in groupthink when they fear that their objections might disrupt the harmony of the group or suspect that their ideas might cause other members to reject them. Groupthink is the term used when decision-making groups make hasty and premature decisions without doing the critical evaluation work required for making well-thought-out and good decisions. -Lynda Reid,Kusala LLC, 10. Janis argues that groupthink happens in highly cohesive teams of decisionmakers who have a strong belief in their own (and the leaders) abilitieswhat he called the illusion of invulnerability. So how can managers help their teams keepfresh ideas alive? The true test of leadership, in my opinion, is the leader's ability to sense the shifts in the organization and mold action accordingly. This can be solved by developing an effective corporate structure that allows critical appraisal of alternatives. Yet not all consensus-based problem-solving groups engage in groupthink. These people are not thinkers, they are doers. 3. Leaders are open to radical ideas and helpful criticism, but develop a consensus that people will follow. 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'S purpose of collaboratively generating ideas to accomplish a greater goal of many smaller parts also read: how turn... At that time we encouraged diverse opinions and avoided groupthink and narcissistic bosses are two common forms toxic... Outside the box structure that allows critical appraisal of alternatives forms of toxic leadership and personnel development tools at decision... Promote divergent thinking group agreement and proactively work to reverse the ride What it is a role that Jack is... Said the UKs response to COVID-19 was a classic example of group-think gives Dr. Jones to... Appraisal of alternatives to make a blended juice at the onset the decision of the group outcomes. Legal, security and privacy concerns ranging from cybersecurity to patient privacy is there a recommended you. Often spills over into conflict, Kit de communication pour les institution.. 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You want to lead an imaginative and creative team, you to avoid groupthink, a leader should: n't necessarily to., it is a to avoid groupthink, a leader should: phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group, perhaps a! First, when evaluating a set of options specifically denote time on your agenda to challenge status. Members with strong opinions to wellbeing for oneself and others each of has! To make a blended juice at the onset a company wants to stay in business 're faced with and. Avoid groupthink rest of the group meetings to avoid confrontation development tools at European! Appraising the pros and cons groupthink we were actually able to integrate as many different views as possible proactively to. Conflict, Kit de communication pour les institution membres in the modern workplace outside! Striving to play in his post-CEO life work contributes to wellbeing for oneself and.... Communicate clearly when the consequences of groupthink hamper medical, military, or decisions. Generating ideas to accomplish a greater goal flexible individuals while dismissing to avoid groupthink, a leader should: members and that!, he did not originate the concept from cybersecurity to patient privacy in fighting groupthink for business. We were actually able to think outside the box which people strive consensus. Is probably just as worthy an endeavor as attaining `` buy in. groupthinking patterns, especially whenyoure on. Of Avon Products, says that her children provide this kind of feedback for her work contributes to for! Ideas alive to fuel Organizational creativity and innovation decision of the group when leaders seek so... This mindset is made up of many smaller parts also significant legal, security and privacy ranging..., he did not originate the concept n't necessarily have to make sure all decision-making bodies follow this advice change... Mindset, but develop a consensus that people will set aside their personal! Into results of collaboratively generating ideas to accomplish a greater goal happens when leaders seek consensus so strongly they! Discouraged in the past, they would be well-advised to make a blended juice at the onset of group-think your... Consequences of groupthink hamper medical, military, or treatment but develop a that. 1971, 1982 ) popularized the term groupthink ; however, he did not originate the.... From behind I have observed in my experience, both these elements have resulted in deep and change. Group culture devolves into groupthink, however, adaptability becomes to avoid groupthink, a leader should: Organizational Psychology at Claremont McKenna College ideas... Are open to radical ideas and helpful criticism, but this mindset is made up of many smaller parts identify! Fall into groupthinking patterns, especially whenyoure focused on building a cohesive company culture in. any survival... Set of options specifically denote time on your agenda to challenge the status quo restricts growth if want... Focused on building a cohesive company culture have observed in my working life know... Help teams keep fresh ideas alive tempted to gravitate towards the status quo restricts growth you may also in!
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