Why ‘Groupthink’ In Business Or Office Is Problematic And How To Avoid It
The term ‘groupthink’ was first used by Irving Janis in 1972. He was a social psychologist. The term ‘groupthink’ is used to describe how people in a group or group make (relatively) bad decisions due to social pressure.
Why ‘Groupthink’ In Business Or Office Is Problematic And How To Avoid It
The people of the party subconsciously want to maintain the unity of the party. That is why they agree with each other’s words. And thus begins the decision making process.
“Groupthink” is also studied in other fields of research besides social psychology. The reason why ‘groupthink’ is so important is that it causes decision makers to become pigeonholed, i.e. they are limited in their way of thinking.
Even after everyone in the group takes a bad decision, why no one opposes it can be explained only through ‘groupthink’.
There is a tendency of ‘groupthink’ between like-minded people like political parties or business organizations.
When “groupthink” prevails in an organization, employees and managers refrain from asking questions that might create controversy and go against the culture of the organization.
So everyone in the manager’s role should be careful about ‘groupthink’. At the same time, we should try to exclude the issue of groupthink from the culture of the organization or office. But why groupthink should be avoided will be discussed in detail this time.
Which Is Why Groupthink Can Get In The Way Of Moving Forward
It is the responsibility of managers to notice whether groupthink is occurring within the team, and whether it manifests itself in various ways in the workplace. Because when the groupthink culture starts in the office, even the most talented employee does not get good ideas. But such an idea could have changed the entire organization. But talented workers do not oppose any decision even if they disagree because of groupthink.
And those who think creatively in the company, because of groupthink, they don’t think new anymore. Then no good ideas come from the individual level. In this way, the company is deprived of new ideas and new possibilities.
Anxieties (consciously or unconsciously) about what people will say if they give an opinion that is out of line can cause talented employees to leave the company. And they may change jobs and move to organizations where bringing new and unconventional ideas to company meetings is encouraged.
Therefore groupthink has both visible and invisible effects on the company. And this effect later causes various financial losses for the company.
How To Understand If Groupthink Is Happening
Let’s say you are the CEO of a fairly large company. You are wondering how to start the company’s business in foreign soil as well. Maybe you were a bit hesitant about starting a business abroad before. So decided to discuss the matter with other officials of the office. And make the final decision based on their opinion.
It was seen that all the officials of the office agreed with your opinion. Like you, they objected to starting a business abroad. But there may have been many people in the meeting, who think that they should start business abroad to survive in competition with other companies. Because even your biggest competitor might be thinking of doing business abroad now. But as a result of groupthink, you did not get the opportunity to listen to people with different opinions in the meeting. As a result, he could not take the right decision in terms of strategy.
Have there ever been times in a meeting where you thought of something to say, but then didn’t? Because you feel that the talk might demotivate the group or team.
Or worked with a team at work where members were unable to express their opinions openly? If this has happened to you, then you too are a victim of groupthink.
Agreeing with the majority, i.e. the party on which it is heavily weighted, does not always lead to good results.
Two negative examples of groupthink in history are the ‘Challenger space shuttle accident’ and the ‘Bay of Pigs attack’.
In the first incident, space shuttle engineers knew several months before the spacecraft flew that some of its equipment was not working properly. But they thought that if the word got out, it would be infamous. So the decision was made to fly the spacecraft despite the flaws.
The US invasion of Cuba’s Bay of Pigs in 1961 was also a tactical mistake. But none of the upper echelons disagreed about the success of the attack, so the attack was carried out and failed.
Signs Of Groupthink
According to Janice, groupthink usually occurs where:
• Have a powerful and influential leader
• Bonds within groups are very strong
• There is a lot of pressure on the group from outside to make the right decision
Basically, groupthink is a very common and normal phenomenon. Groupthink can occur among different types of groups in different situations and environments. So if you know the main symptoms of groupthink it is easy to be careful about it. Let’s know the symptoms.
1. Reasoning Behind The Decision And Explaining It To Yourself
Team members can often convince themselves that their decision is the right one, even when the data contradicts it. They may dismiss the opinions of others by arguing that “those who disagree with us have not researched the issue as thoroughly as we have.”
2. Peer Pressure
When a member gives a different opinion than the rest, or asks to explain the reasons behind a decision, the rest of the team can put pressure on him. And sometimes he can be punished by saying things like, “If you think we’re doing something wrong, you can leave the group.”
3. Complacency
After a few successes, a group or group may feel that the decision they make is the right one. Because they have no doubts about themselves. An attitude can develop in the team that, “Our work proves how successful we are. No one can stop us!”
4. High Opinion Of Their Own Morality
Each team member considers himself ethical. So where everyone is ethical, no one can think of an unethical decision! However, if values are used as a basis for decision-making, the pressure to conform to everyone’s opinion is greater.
Because opposing everyone’s decision will seem unethical in the eyes of others. Group members can convince themselves that, “We all understand what is right and what is wrong. And the decision we have taken is definitely right.”
5. Stereotyping Or Thinking In Stereotypes
When everyone in a group thinks the same, they may perceive the thinking of people outside the group as inferior and different. Because of such views, they devalue people outside the group. For example, if someone from another profession disagrees with them, they may say, “People in this profession quarrel whenever they get the chance. Even if all the evidence is against their claim, they will fight!”
6. Censorship
Team members may censor their opinions to fit in with the rest. Someone in the group may think that, “Where everyone is thinking the same thing, why am I thinking another thing!” Surely I am wrong here.”
Even if any dissent comes from outside, it is often censored by the party. One of the team can say to the other, “Hey, don’t listen to these words! They really don’t know anything about it.”
7. The Misconception Of Getting Everyone’s Consent
When no one speaks his mind, the group thinks the decision has been made by consensus. And this is the biggest problem of group think. And this is how the situation can get out of control. At the meeting it might be said, “When everyone agrees, that’s the decision!”
How To Avoid Groupthink
Avoiding groupthink requires having a process to rethink the assumptions made before making a decision.
It is also important to check before making a decision and assess whether there are any risks behind the decision. So before making a big decision, make sure your team keeps these things in mind while making the decision:
• Investigating the goals of decision making
• Finding alternative solutions
• Encouragement to criticize decisions without fear
• See if there is any risk associated with the choice decision
• Hypothesis testing
• Re-examine the omitted decisions if necessary
• Collecting relevant information from external sources
• Reviewing information objectively
• Have at least one alternative plan in place
There are many techniques to keep these things in mind. Some of these strategies are discussed. One or more of these techniques can be used to change the way the team works. This way you can protect your team from groupthink and make better decisions.
Strategies To Avoid Groupthink:
1. Brainstorming
If brainstorming is practiced within the team, everyone can share their ideas without fear of criticism.
2. Let Each Member Participate Separately
All members of the group should be given an opportunity to speak individually. This will reduce the dominance of members who influence decision-making.
3. Six Thinking Hats
Using the technique called “Six Thinking Hats” allows teams to look at a problem from different perspectives. In this technique, everyone in the group is asked to think about the same problem from different angles. In this way, no decision will be above criticism.
4. Delphi Technique:
In the Delphi technique, team members give their opinions separately. They don’t know what the rest of the party is thinking. As a result, no one has to get into trouble here even if they disagree with the rest.
How To Get Out Of Groupthink
If groupthink still occurs in your office after using these strategies, it is important to understand the reasons behind it. And after finding out the cause, try to solve it as soon as possible. For this you can follow any of these suggestions:
