Groupthink

1. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • What is Groupthink? • Groupthink is a phenomenon first described by research psychologist Irving Janis of Yale University. • Simply put, Groupthink is the tendency of a cohesive • group to reach consensus without critically testing or evaluating their decisions. Creativity and independent thought are lost in pursuit of the group’s “comfort zone”. • Disasters attributed to this kind of decision-making failure include: • Failure to anticipate the Pearl Harborattack (1941). • The Bay of Pigs fiasco (1961). • The loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger (1986).

2. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • What are the symptoms? • Janis identified eight symptoms that indicate a group could be experiencing Groupthink: • Illusions of invulnerability: “This ship can’t sink – it’s the Titanic!” • Rationalising warnings: “Oh, you’re just being negative...” • Unquestioned belief in morality: “We know we’re right!” • Stereotyping the opposition: “Anyone who doesn’t agree is a fool...” • Direct pressure:“Are you disagreeing with me..?” • Self-censorship: “Let’s not think about what might go wrong...” • Illusions of unanimity: “Nobody’s saying anything, so we’re all agreed...” • Self-appointed ‘mind guards’: “You better not be disagreeing with the boss..!”

3. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • How do we avoid it? • Janis also devised seven ways of avoiding Groupthink. • Make it clear that group members are welcome to critically evaluate decisions. • Don’t allow the group leader to state their opinion before the discussion. • Split the group into smaller, independent sub-groups working on the same problem. • Systematically examine all the alternatives. • Encourage group members to discuss ideas with people independent of the group. • Invite outside experts to contribute and discuss their opinions with the group. • Assign one group member the role of “Devil’s Advocate” (a different person for each meeting). • After the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy used such methods to successfully defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.

4. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • What is Groupthink? • Groupthink is a phenomenon first described by research psychologist Irving Janis of Yale University. • Simply put, Groupthink is the tendency of a cohesive • group to reach consensus without critically testing or evaluating their decisions. Creativity and independent thought are lost in pursuit of the group’s “comfort zone”. • Disasters attributed to this kind of decision-making failure include: • Failure to anticipate the Pearl Harborattack (1941). • The Bay of Pigs fiasco (1961). • The loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger (1986).

5. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • How do we avoid it? • Janis also devised seven ways of avoiding Groupthink. • Make it clear that group members are welcome to critically evaluate decisions. • Don’t allow the group leader to state their opinion before the discussion. • Split the group into smaller, independent sub-groups working on the same problem. • Systematically examine all the alternatives. • Encourage group members to discuss ideas with people independent of the group. • Invite outside experts to contribute and discuss their opinions with the group. • Assign one group member the role of “Devil’s Advocate” (a different person for each meeting). • After the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy used such methods to successfully defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.

6. Groupthink Could your team or organisation be suffering from Groupthink? Find out: what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to avoid it. It could mean the difference between a good decision and a disaster... Click another Tab. • What are the symptoms? • Janis identified eight symptoms that indicate a group could be experiencing Groupthink: • Illusions of invulnerability: “This ship can’t sink – it’s the Titanic!” • Rationalising warnings: “Oh, you’re just being negative...” • Unquestioned belief in morality: “We know we’re right!” • Stereotyping the opposition: “Anyone who doesn’t agree is a fool...” • Direct pressure:“Are you disagreeing with me..?” • Self-censorship: “Let’s not think about what might go wrong...” • Illusions of unanimity: “Nobody’s saying anything, so we’re all agreed...” • Self-appointed ‘mind guards’: “You better not be disagreeing with the boss..!”