If you analyze your own communication style, you`ll see how you interact with your team members in a group environment that requires decision-making. Try to write down how you have collected your group`s decision information over the past two or three sessions. Think about what you could do to contribute to the problem. If you only communicate with the group members who have had the most input, try to do more with those who do not often express their opinion at the next meeting. This will lead to more commitment and all team members will feel that what they need to bring is important. If everyone agrees with the decision and there are not enough debates, you should meet again and advise everyone to think about other data points for the next meeting. A silent acquiescence or lack of active engagement is a sign of group thinking. Everything`s going well, maybe too well. Your team may be afraid to develop new ideas or initiatives that could threaten the status quo and lead to failure. Self-satisfaction is a common side effect of group thinking and can significantly slow down the growth of your business. We expect you to develop a team, strategic planning and good opportunities for growth without change, where constructive differences are celebrated, recognized and encouraged, in order to take advantage of the collective intelligence of the group and make a better decision. An important aspect to avoid group thinking is to look beyond the confines of the organization.
In the face of market changes and multiple technological developments, companies must always look for ways to be better, better customer service, a better recruitment strategy, better processes, improved products. The term “group thinking” was first used by a social psychologist named Irving Janis, and it is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a well-intentioned group works together to make decisions and seek harmony and consensus. The result is non-optimal decision-making and compliance within the group. In other words, group thinking prevents individuals from disagreeing with the leader and general consensus of a group. When an organization`s culture detects innovation, seeks new perspectives and inspires new ways of doing things, people don`t fall into the trap of group thinking because they are encouraged to think differently. These “symptoms” were developed by Janis to show how group thinking affects individuals and teams. These symptoms show a need for improvement of the team. Here are some of the symptoms of Groupthink: If you notice during your sessions that your group has any of the above symptoms, don`t panic; Janis has also developed eight steps that you can take to avoid group thoughts and prevent killing critical thinking and creative problems that solve problems in your group.
Here are some steps to eliminate group thinking and avoid it completely. For leaders and leaders in positions of power, a firm way of thinking can lead them to ignore any information that undermines their authority, which leads to blind spots.